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Conference napalm::guitar

Title:GUITARnotes - Where Every Note has Emotion
Notice:Discussion of the finer stringed instruments
Moderator:KDX200::COOPER
Created:Thu Aug 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:3280
Total number of notes:61432

1069.0. "Charlie Christian solo transcriptions." by CHEFS::DOWNSC () Wed Jan 11 1989 09:56

    I am compiling an annotated bibliography of published 
    transcriptions of solo performances by Charlie Christian. Any help
    in locating some of the more obscure items would be much appreciated.
    These include:
    	
    	Transcriptions published by Giant Steps, referred to by Mark
    Gridley in his book Jazz Styles.
    
    	A collection of transcriptions published in 1975 by Nichion,
    Tokyo, edited by Takayanagi, referred to in the Grove dictionary
    of American music.
    
    With thanks.
    
    Clive
    
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
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1069.1everyone should check this guy outOUTSRC::HEISERMaranatha!Fri Jun 09 1995 00:0519
    I got my first exposure to this guitarist last night.  Very impressive
    is an understatement!  I am taking a "Jazz in America" class as part of
    my humanities requirement.  So far I'm enjoying learning about a form
    of music I basically ignored in the past.
    
    Re: .0
    
>    	Transcriptions published by Giant Steps, referred to by Mark
>    Gridley in his book Jazz Styles.
    
    Ironically enough, this is our class's textbook.  I'm looking forward
    to getting some of these classics on CD.  
    
    For those of you who don't know, Charlie was Benny Goodman's guitarist.
    The tune we heard was "I Found a New Baby."  He's been given credit for
    starting the technique of single-note lead lines.  When you hear him,
    you'll know why.  
    
    Mike
1069.2It gets even better!TALOFA::HARMONPaul Harmon, ACMSxp EngineeringFri Jun 09 1995 10:368
    >I got my first exposure to this guitarist last night.  Very impressive
    >is an understatement!  I am taking a "Jazz in America" class as part of
    >my humanities requirement.  So far I'm enjoying learning about a form
    >of music I basically ignored in the past.
    
    Wait till you get to Pat Martino!  8^)
    
    Paul
1069.3the sourceRANGER::WEBERFri Jun 09 1995 13:1510
    Personally, I'm more impressed by Christian. It's not that Pat isn't a
    far better player, but he's built on many great jazz guitarist's
    contributions. Charlie invented it out of whole cloth, all by himself.
    
    In these days of superplayers, it's hard to understand the
    accomplishment of a young player whose career only spanned a couple of
    years, but every non-classical guitarist today owes an
    incredible debt to Mr. Christian that just can't be overstated.
    
    Danny W.
1069.4OUTSRC::HEISERMaranatha!Fri Jun 09 1995 14:004
    As I understand it, he was the first to use an amp too (to be heard
    over the rest of the band).
    
    Mike
1069.5TALOFA::HARMONPaul Harmon, ACMSxp EngineeringFri Jun 09 1995 14:0710
re: <<< Note 1069.3 by RANGER::WEBER >>>

All that history is there and is true, of course.  But I'm not thinking
about any of that when I decide what seems interesting to listen to.
Pat just happens to belong to a period of jazz I enjoy more.

I certainly wasn't trying to minimize Charlie Christian's contributions,
though; my point was more "boy, are you in for a lot of cool discoveries!".

Paul
1069.6NEWVAX::LAURENTHal Laurent @ COPFri Jun 09 1995 14:4416
re: .4

>    As I understand it, he was the first to use an amp too (to be heard
>    over the rest of the band).
    
T-bone Walker claims he did it first, but who knows for sure.  TBW and CC
were contemporaries (Walker was 5 years older).  They even played together
for awhile in 1933 or so.

At any rate, early T-Bone Walker stuff is also very interesting listening
from a historical perspective.

Is any Charlie Christian stuff available on CD nowadays?  If so,
any recommendations?

-Hal
1069.7OUTSRC::HEISERMaranatha!Fri Jun 09 1995 14:581
    Maybe his work with Benny Goodman is on CD?
1069.8TALOFA::HARMONPaul Harmon, ACMSxp EngineeringFri Jun 09 1995 15:255
    Yeah, there's stuff available - I know I've seen at least one CD in the
    very recent past under Charlie's name (I don't remember the name of the
    CD, though).
    
    Paul
1069.9prior artRANGER::WEBERFri Jun 09 1995 16:277
    No, there are several electric guitar players recorded prior to CC,
    including the vastly underappreciated George Barnes, and Eddie Durham,
    who had a direct effect on Christian's use of an amp.
    
    "Solo Flight" is available on CD and is the definitive CC recording.
    
    Danny W.
1069.10POLAR::KFICZEREMon Jun 12 1995 10:3210
    I'm a big fan of CC myself (not Deville either). For the record (from
    the liner notes of "the genius of Charlie Christian",apperently he
    lived a very short life. Started his career around 18 years and was
    dead of a brain tumor (or TB, it's been a while since i've read them)
    at the age of 22 or 23.
    THe music on this tape (found in a bargin bin) is all from Benny
    Goodman and his BIG band. I really dig it. Charlie was truley ahead of
    his time.And a very smokin player!
    
    -kev