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Charlie Christian made the electric guitar as a jazz solo instrument (Django Reinhardt having had that effect, but one with limited spread, as an acoustic instrumentalist). His prowess and his legend were both enormous; and the opportunity to hear 4 CDs worth of this gifted musician over most of his recording career (dead at age 25) cannot be ignored or deprecated.
Imagine a 23 year old Oklahoman, resplendent with cowboy hat, being asked to gig with and then join the likes of Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton. Not just join them, but enhance their music, understanding the subtlety requisite to a sideman’s supporting role and then waxing eloquent on his own solos. A guitarist who eschewed chording for single note lines, who took a melody and improvised off its line or its harmony, all with a swing that was actually more than swing, a reaching for subtle patterns that also let Christian lend a hand at the birthing of bebop in the hallowed arena Minton’s, where he was a brief but important figure in the late-night jam scenes.
What are the virtues of this 4-CD extravaganza? If completeness is the sine qua non, this is "complete" from this label, down to 17 previously unissued takes and a bundle of false starts and breakdowns (interrupted versions from studio sessions). More important, the audio quality is exceptional.
But most significant is the performing. Christian became integral to the Goodman band, and his solos were as thoughtful and inventive as the clarinettist’s. "Star Dust," "The Sheik of Araby," "Flying Home"—all became new creations with the electric guitarist’s contribution, and all were works where Goodman gave the young guitar player prominence. Christian also contributed compositions, and his name plays prominently in the writing credits. One discerns easily his melodic inventiveness, his appreciation of the blues, and the influence of western swing.
Heard here are numerous variations of the Goodman sextet—with Fletcher Henderson, Johnny Guarnieri, or Count Basie as the most prominent pianists; with Hamp on vibes; and, on a limited number of tracks, Lester Young or Cootie Williams. There are also Goodman orchestra settings (including the Christian tour-de-force "Solo Flight") and one Metronome All-Star nonette from 1940. The only non-Goodman band is on five cuts from a Cootie Williams collaboration.
Special mention goes to the Christian-Young collaboration. Actually a hybrid of the Basie and Goodman small bands, Christian was joined by the solid if uninventive Freddie Green on acoustic guitar, Young, Buck Clayton, Walter Jones on bass, Jo Jones at the drums, Basie and Goodman. "Ad-Lib Blues" is heavily indebted to Kansas City; "Wholly Cats" has that tight arranging indicative of a Goodman work and a Young solo that shadows Christian’s earlier lead; "Charlie’s Dream" has an aura of mystery created first by Goodman and later by Young; and when re-titled as "Lester’s Dream" it has that same Arabian Nights flair and stronger solos by Young and an abbreviated but modern outlook by Christian. These five takes are intriguing for the intersection of these giant figures in jazz history.
Christian’s sound is so beautiful and inventive, and the Goodman sextet was so tight and intelligent, that criticism seems in bad taste. But here are the weak points (minor, but valid). First, the sheer number of false starts and breakdowns makes this somewhat unlistenable. Perhaps that is not a flaw in a CD, where programing can exclude those excerpts, but it is noticeable. Second, this collection omits Christian’s after-hours work at Minton’s, critical to understanding his role as bridge between swing and bop.
Nonetheless, one can’t complain about too much Charlie Christian. With solid annotations, this is a worthy introduction to a man who may indeed have deserved the label "genius" for his instrument—because he had the inventiveness to birth it as a jazz solo instrument, and to hear/see beyond the limitations of swing. Listen carefully—everybody swings, but Christian carries the music at least a step or two beyond. It’s more than an electric instrument among acoustics—it’s in the ideas and execution.
— Jules Epstein, 2002
Release Date: 24 Sept 2002
Charlie Christian :
The Genius of the Electric Guitar (Columbia/Legacy)
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last update 24 September 2002