Charlie Christian
Godfather of electric guitar, sparkplug of the Benny Goodman sextet, key figure in the evolution of bebop, Charlie Christian (1916-42) remains a source of jazz pleasure and inspiration. Geoffrey Smith picks some classic recordings.
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Earl Bostic, Clyde Hart, Sid Catlett, Charlie Christian, J.C. Higginbotham, Henry Allen, Artie Bernstein & Lionel Hampton
Haven't Named it Yet
- SOLO FLIGHT.
- TOPAZ.
- 5.
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Benny Goodman
Benny's Bugle
Performer: Charlie Christian. Performer: Benny Goodman. Performer: Cootie Williams. Performer: Georgie Auld. Performer: Artie Bernstein. Performer: Harry Jaeger.- Solo Flight.
- Topaz.
- 16.
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Charlie Christian
Seven Come Eleven
Composer: Benny Goodman. Performer: The Benny Goodman Sextet.- SOLO FLIGHT.
- TOPAZ.
- 6.
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Benny Goodman
Stompin' At the Savoy
Performer: Kenny Clarke. Performer: Thelonious Monk. Performer: Charlie Christian. Composer: Edgar Sampson.- Swing into Bop.
- Topaz.
- 3.
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Jack Palmer
I Found a New Baby
Performer: Count Basie. Performer: Charlie Christian. Performer: Benny Goodman. Performer: Cootie Williams. Composer: Spencer Williams. Performer: Georgie Auld. Performer: Artie Bernstein. Performer: Jo Jones.- Solo Flight.
- Topaz.
- 20.
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Benny Goodman
Wholly Cats
Performer: Count Basie. Performer: Charlie Christian. Performer: Benny Goodman. Performer: Cootie Williams. Performer: Georgie Auld. Performer: Artie Bernstein. Performer: Harry Jaeger.- Solo Flight.
- Topaz.
- 14.
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Gus Kahn
I Never Knew
Performer: Count Basie. Performer: Freddie Green. Performer: Lester Young. Performer: Charlie Christian. Performer: Benny Goodman. Performer: Jo Jones. Performer: Buck Clayton. Performer: Walter Page. Composer: Ted Fio Rito.- The Genius of the Electric Guitar (Columbia Box Set).
- Columbia Jazz Legacy.
- 6.
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Meade Lux Lewis
Profoundly Blue
Performer: Edmund Hall. Performer: Charlie Christian. Performer: Meade Lux Lewis. Performer: Israel Crosby.- Solo Flight.
- Topaz.
- 21.
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Benny Goodman
Rose Room
Performer: Nick Fatool. Performer: Fletcher Henderson. Performer: Charlie Christian. Performer: Benny Goodman. Performer: Artie Bernstein. Performer: Lionel Hampton.- Solo Flight.
- Topaz.
- 3.
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Eddie DeLange
Flying ˿
Performer: Nick Fatool. Performer: Fletcher Henderson. Lyricist: Sid Robin. Performer: Charlie Christian. Performer: Benny Goodman. Composer: Benny Goodman. Performer: Artie Bernstein. Performer: Lionel Hampton.- SOLO FLIGHT.
- TOPAZ.
- 2.
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Fats Waller
Honeysuckle Rose
Performer: Charlie Christian. Performer: Benny Goodman and His Boys. Composer: Andy Razaf.- SOLO FLIGHT.
- TOPAZ.
- 7.
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Charlie Christian
Air Mail Special
Performer: Johnny Guarneri. Performer: Charlie Christian. Performer: Benny Goodman. Composer: Benny Goodman. Performer: Cootie Williams. Performer: Dave Tough. Performer: Georgie Auld & His Orchestra. Performer: Artie Bernstein.- The Genius of the Electric Guitar (Columbia Box Set).
- Columbia Jazz Legacy.
- 23.
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Hoagy Carmichael
Stardust
Performer: Jerry Jerome. Performer: Frankie Hines. Performer: Charlie Christian. Performer: Oscar Pettiford.- Charlie Christian, The First Master of the Electric Guitar.
- JSP.
- 5.
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Benny Goodman
Gilly
Performer: Ken Kersey. Performer: Charlie Christian. Performer: Benny Goodman. Performer: Cootie Williams. Performer: Georgie Auld. Performer: Artie Bernstein. Performer: Harry Jaeger.- The Genius of the Electric Guitar (Columbia Box Set).
- Columbia Jazz Legacy.
- 13.
Performers:
ROSE ROOM
Benny Goodman
Composers: Williams/Hickman
Album Title: Solo Flight
Label: TOPAZ TPZ-1017
Duration: 2:49
Performers: Benny Goodman (clarinet), Charlie Christian (guitar), Lionel Hampton, Fletcher Henderson, Artie Bernstein, Nick Fatool
FLYING HOME
Benny Goodman
Composers: Goodman/DeLange/Hampton
Album Title: Solo Flight
Label: TOPAZ TPZ-1017
Duration: 3:17
Performers: Benny Goodman (clarinet), Charlie Christian (guitar), Lionel Hampton (vibes), Fletcher Henderson, Artie Bernstein, Nick Fatool
STARDUST
Charlie Christian
Composers: Carmichael/Paris
Album Title: Charlie Christian, The First Master of the Electric Guitar
Label: JSP 909
Duration: 5:41
Performers: Charlie Christian (guitar), Jerry Jerome (tenor saxophone), Frankie Hines (piano), Oscar Pettiford (bass)
HAVEN’T NAMED IT YET
Lionel Hampton
Composers: Hampton/Christian
Album Title: Solo Flight
Label: TOPAZ TPZ-1017
Duration:00:02:57
Performers: Lionel Hampton (vibes), Charlie Christian (guitar) Henry “Red” Allen (trumpet), J.C. Higginbotham (trombone), Earl Bostic (alto saxophone), Clyde Hart, Artie Bernstein, Big Sid Catlett.
SEVEN COME ELEVEN
Benny Goodman
Composers: Christian/Goodman
Album Title: Solo Flight
Label: TOPAZ TPZ-1017
Duration: 2:43
Performers: The Benny Goodman Sextet
HONEYSUCKLE ROSE
Benny Goodman
Composers: Razaf, A/Waller, T
Album Title: SOLO FLIGHT
Label: TOPAZ TPZ-1017
Duration: 3.03
Performers: Benny Goodman and his Big Band + Charlie Christian (guitar), Ziggy Elman (trumpet)
I NEVER KNEW
Benny Goodman
Composers: Fiorito Kahn
Album Title: The Genius of the Electric Guitar (Columbia Box Set)
Label: Columbia Jazz Legacy CD-65564
Duration: 2:57
Performers: Count Basie (piano), Freddie Green (guitar), Lester Young (tenor), Benny Goodman, Jo Jones, Buck Clayton (trumpet), Walter Page, Charlie Christian.
WHOLLY CATS
Benny Goodman
Composers: Benny Goodman
Album Title: Solo Flight
Label: Topaz TPZ-1017
Duration:2.59
Performers: Benny Goodman, Count Basie (piano), Charlie Christian (guitar), Cootie Williams (trumpet), Georgie Auld (tenor), Artie Bernstein, Harry Jaeger (bass & drums)
BENNY’S BUGLE
Benny Goodman Sextet
Composers: Benny Goodman
Album Title: Solo Flight
Label: Topaz TPZ-1017
Duration:3.07
Performers: Benny Goodman, Count Basie (piano), Charlie Christian (guitar), Cootie Williams (trumpet), Georgie Auld (tenor), Artie Bernstein, Harry Jaeger (bass & drums)
GONE WITH WHAT DRAFY (GILLY)
Benny Goodman Sextet
Composers: Benny Goodman
Album Title: The Genius of the Electric Guitar (Columbia Box Set)
Label: Columbia Jazz Legacy CD-65564
Duration: 2.35
Performers: Benny Goodman, Ken Kersey (piano), Charlie Christian (guitar), Cootie Williams (trumpet), Georgie Auld (tenor), Artie Bernstein, Harry Jaeger (bass & drums)
I FOUND A NEW BABY
Benny Goodman Sextet
Composers: Palmer/Williams
Album Title: Solo Flight
Label: Topaz TPZ-1017
Duration: 2.55
Performers: Benny Goodman, Count Basie (piano), Charlie Christian (guitar), Cootie Williams (trumpet), Georgie Auld (tenor), Artie Bernstein, Jo Jones (drums)
PROFOUNDLY BLUE
Edmund Hall Celeste Quartet
Composers: Meade Lux Lewis
Album Title: Solo Flight
Label: Topaz TPZ-1017
Duration: 4.09
Performers: Meade Lux Lewis (celeste), Charlie Christian (acoustic guitar), Edmund Hall (clarinet), Israel Crosby (bass)
AIR MAIL SPECIAL
Benny Goodman
Composers: Christian/Goodman/Mundy
Album Title: The Genius of the Electric Guitar (Columbia Box Set)
Label: Columbia Jazz Legacy CD-65564
Duration: 3.21
Performers: Charlie Christian (guitar), Benny Goodman (clarinet), Cootie Williams (trumpet), Georgie Auld (tenor), Johnny Guarneri (piano), Artie Bernstein, Dave Tough
STOMPIN' AT THE SAVOY
Charlie Christian
Composers: Sampson/Webbb/Goodman
Album Title: Swing into Bop
Label: Topaz TPZ 1028
Duration: 00:08:16
Performers: Charlie Christian, Kenny Clarke, Thelonius Monk
Broadcasts
- Sun 26 Oct 2014 00:00˿ Radio 3
- Sun 23 Jul 2017 00:00˿ Radio 3
Podcast
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Geoffrey Smith's Jazz
Geoffrey Smith's Jazz - a weekly sequence exploring what makes great jazz great music