Christian instrumental cd, Charlie Christian, J&R in Music

"The Original Guitar Hero" (09/24/2002) Jazz Instrument Christian, Charlie, Legacy RecordingsThis is a selection from the 4-CD box THE GENIUS OF THE ELECTRIC GUITAR. Personnel: Charlie Christian (guitar); George Auld (tenor saxophone); Cootie Williams (trumpet); Benny Goodman (clarinet); Lionel Hampton (vibraphone); Count Basie, Fletcher Henderson, Johnny Guarnieri, Dudley Brooks (piano); Artie Bernstein (bass); Nick Fatool, Jo Jones, Harry Jaeger (drums). Producer: John Hammond. Compilation producers: Michael Brooks, Michael Cuscuna. Recorded in 1939-1940. Includes liner notes by Les Paul and Brad Tolinski. All tracks have been digitally remastered. Personnel: Charlie Christian (electric guitar); Benny Goodman (clarinet); Georgie Auld (tenor saxophone); Cootie Williams (trumpet); Count Basie, Dudley Brooks, Fletcher Henderson, Johnny Guarnieri (piano); Lionel Hampton (vibraphone); Harry Jaeger, Jo Jones , Nick Fatool (drums). Liner Note Authors: Derek Trucks; Duke Robillard; Brad Tolinski; Herb Ellis; Jimmie Vaughan; Joe Satriani; Les Paul; Russell Malone; Tal Farlow; B.B. King; Vernon Reid; Barney Kessel; Walter Becker; Warren Haynes; Bill Frisell; John Scofield; Brian Setzer. Recording information: Word Studios, NY (10/02/1939-11/07/1940). This eight-track sampler from Columbia's The Genius of the Electric Guitar box set is a fairly ill-advised promotional gimmick that offers a slice of the box to people who may be unsure of its overall worth. It is far from a definitive sampler, though, and as such is a waste of money, because those who are convinced to buy the box will have paid an extra ten bucks, while those who decide that the sampler stands on its own will be deprived of many of Christian's essential performances. If you're a big Christian fan, buy the box; otherwise, the original (and still-available) Genius of the Electric Guitar is still the best way to go. ~ Jim Smith This eight-track sampler from Columbia's The Genius of the Electric Guitar box set offers a slice of the box to people who may be unsure of its overall worth. It is far from a definitive sampler, though. If you're a big Christian fan, buy the box; otherwise, the original (and still-available) Genius of the Electric Guitar is still the best way to go. ~ Jim Smith

"Radio Broadcasts: 1939-1941" (09/04/2001) Jazz Instrument Christian, Charlie, Stardust RecordsPersonnel includes: Charlie Christian (electric guitar); Georgie Auld (tenor saxophone); Cootie Williams (trumpet); Benny Goodman (clarinet); Lionel Hampton (vibraphone); Count Basie, Fletcher Henderson, Johnny Guarnieri (piano); Artie Bernstein (bass); Nick Fatool, Harry Jaeger, Dave Tough (drums). Recorded between 1939 & 1941. Personnel: Charlie Christian (electric guitar); Benny Goodman (clarinet); Pete Mondello (saxophone); Georgie Auld (tenor saxophone); Cootie Williams (trumpet); Lou McGarity, Cutty Cutshall (trombone); Count Basie, Fletcher Henderson, Johnny Guarnieri (piano); Lionel Hampton (vibraphone); Artie Bernstein (acoustic bass); Harry Jaeger, Dave Tough, Nick Fatool (drums). Liner Note Author: Athan Maroulis. Recording information: 08/11/1939-06/11/1941. When people hear the term "electric jazz," they usually think of fusion, soul-jazz or crossover jazz. But the use of electric instruments in jazz actually goes back to the late 1930s, when Eddie Durham became the first person to record jazz on the electric guitar. Charlie Christian was right behind him, but while Durham only played the guitar part of the time (he was also a trombonist), Christian was a full-time guitarist -- and it was he who, more than anyone, made countless swing and bop players want to play the electric guitar. This excellent CD is full of electric guitar solos that were way ahead of their time. Although Benny Goodman is actually the leader on these live performances of 1939-1941, Christian is featured prominently on swing era favorites like "Flying Home" and "Rose Room." All of these performances (which took place at Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, and other venues) were broadcast over the radio (during the this time, live broadcasts of swing concerts were quite plentiful). You have to remember that in those pre-bebop days, jazz was part of pop culture. Goodman, Glenn Miller, and other swing icons helped define popular culture in the 1930s and early 1940s, just as the Beatles would define popular culture in the 1960s. So, by hooking up with Goodman, Christian brought his guitar solos to a very large audience. The improviser influenced everyone from country honky-tonkers to beboppers, but, tragically, he didn't live long enough to see how great an impact he had on bop guitarists -- his death from tuberculosis in 1942 at the age of 25 came about three years before the bebop revolution officially got underway. This fine collection paints an exciting picture of a jazzman who, like Clifford Brown, remained influential long after his untimely death. ~ Alex Henderson

"Selected Broadcasts and Jam Sessions [Box]" (08/13/2002) Jazz Instrument Christian, Charlie, JSP (UK)Personnel includes: Charlie Christian (guitar); Lester Young, Georgie Auld (tenor saxophone); Buck Clayton, Cootie Williams (trumpet); Benny Goodman (clarinet); Lionel Hampton (vibraphone); Count Basie, Teddy Wilson, Johnny Guarnieri, Fletcher Henderson (piano); Freddie Green (guitar); Walter Page, Oscar Pettiford, Artie Bernstein (bass); Nick Fatool, Jo Jones, Gene Krupa, Kemmy Clarke (drums). Recorded between 1939 & 1941. Includes liner notes by Nevil Skrimshire. Personnel: Charlie Christian (guitar); Mike Bryan, Freddie Green (guitar); Benny Goodman (clarinet, trumpet); Skip Martin (alto saxophone, baritone saxophone); Gus Bivona, Gene Kinsey, Earle Warren, Rudy Williams, Jimmy Horvath, Les Robinson (alto saxophone); Don Byas, Georgie Auld, Jerry Jerome, Lester Young, Pete Mondello, Buddy Tate (tenor saxophone); Bob Snyder, Jack Washington (baritone saxophone); Alec FILA, Cootie Williams, Ed Lewis, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Shad Collins, Billy Butterfield, Jimmy Maxwell, Buck Clayton (trumpet); Dicky Wells, Lou McGarity, Benny Morton, Dan Minor, Cutty Cutshall (trombone); Count Basie, Ken Kersey, Dudley Brooks, Fletcher Henderson, Billy Rowland, Joe Sullivan, Johnny Guarnieri, Albert Ammons, Meade "Lux" Lewis, Milt Raskin, Pete Johnson , Teddy Wilson, Walter Page (piano); Lionel Hampton (vibraphone); Red Norvo (xylophone); Harry Jaeger, Dave Tough, Gene Krupa, Jo Jones , Kenny Clarke, Nick Fatool, Taps Miller (drums). Liner Note Author: Nevil Skrimshire. Recording information: Carnegie Hall, NY (08/19/1939-06/??/1941); Catalina Casion, Hotel St Catherine, Santa Catalina Hot (08/19/1939-06/??/1941); Clarke Monroe's Uptown House' Harlem, NY (08/19/1939-06/??/1941); Coconut Grove, Hotel Ambassador, Los Angeles, CA (08/19/1939-06/??/1941); Detroit State Fair (08/19/1939-06/??/1941); Empire Room, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, NY (08/19/1939-06/??/1941); Harlem Breakfast Club, Minneapolis, MN (08/19/1939-06/??/1941); Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA (08/19/1939-06/??/1941); Madison Square Garden, NY (08/19/1939-06/??/1941); Manhattan Center, New York, NY (08/19/1939-06/??/1941); Minton's Playhouse, Hotel, Cecil, Harlem, NY (08/19/1939-06/??/1941); New York, NY (08/19/1939-06/??/1941); Peacock Court, Mark Hopkins Hotel, San Francisco, CA (08/19/1939-06/??/1941); Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY (08/19/1939-06/??/1941); The Make Believe Ballroom, NY (08/19/1939-06/??/1941). Director: Benny Goodman. Arrangers: Jimmy Mundy; Skip Martin . Read the title carefully: These are broadcast recordings that Charlie Christian made between 1939-1941. A majority of these shows were recorded with the Benny Goodman Sextet, but there is also material by the Goodman All Stars, the Benny Goodman Orchestra, Count Basie & Friends, and the Kansas City Six. The real meat of this box, however, are the now-famous jam sessions recorded at Minton's Playhouse, Clarke Monroe's Uptown House, and the Harlem Breakfast Club. Over the years, these have been prized by Christian's fans as the purest examples of his genius and the possible birth of bebop, and there are enough of them here to warrant the purchase of the whole set. As for remastering, the quality of sound of the broadcasts is fair to poor, occasionally good; the jam sessions, however, are mostly clean, and sometimes surprisingly so. People interested in Christian's essential legacy need to first digest Columbia's Genius of the Electric Guitar box, but JSP deserves credit for assembling this rare material at an extremely affordable price. ~ Jim Smith