Charlie Christian
It can be said without exaggeration that virtually every jazz guitarist that emerged during 1940-65 sounded like a relative of Charlie Christian. The first important electric guitarist, Christian played his instrument with the fluidity, confidence, and swing of a saxophonist. Although technically a swing stylist, his musical vocabulary was studied and emulated by the bop players, and when one listens to players ranging from Tiny Grimes, Barney Kessel, and Herb Ellis, to Wes Montgomery and George Benson, the dominant influence of Christian is obvious.
Charlie Christian's time in the spotlight was terribly brief. He played piano locally in Oklahoma, and began to utilize an amplified guitar in 1937, after becoming a student of Eddie Durham, a jazz guitarist who invented the amplified guitar. John Hammond, the masterful talent scout and producer, heard about Christian (possibly from Mary Lou Williams), was impressed by what he saw, and arranged for the guitarist to travel to Los Angeles in August 1939 and try out with Benny Goodman. Although the clarinetist was initially put off by Christian's primitive wardrobe, as soon as they started jamming on "Rose Room," Christian's talents were obvious. For the next two years, he would be well-featured with Benny Goodman's Sextet; there were two solos (including the showcase "Solo Flight") with the full orchestra; and the guitarist had the opportunity to jam at Minton's Playhouse with such up-and-coming players as Thelonious Monk, Kenny Clarke, and Dizzy Gillespie. All of the guitarist's recordings (including guest spots and radio broadcasts) are currently available on CD. Tragically, he contracted tuberculosis in 1941, and died at the age of 25 on March 2, 1942. It would be 25 years before jazz guitarists finally moved beyond Charlie Christian.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo
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The Essential Jazz Masters Collection, Vol. 14
Charlie Christian, Benny Goodman
Jazz - Released by Supreme Media on 30 Oct 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Swing Time - The Encyclopedia of Jazz, Vol. 8
Jazz - Released by Documents on 9 Jan 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sweet Surrender
Jazz - Released by nagel heyer records on 10 Nov 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Swing Time, 1939-40, Vol. 1 (Hq remastered 2023)
Jazz - Released by Vintage Recordings on 9 Aug 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Happy Birthday Charlie (All Tracks Remastered)
Jazz - Released by Millennium Digital Remaster on 29 Jul 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
After Hours (Hd Remastered)
Charlie Christian, Dizzy Gillespie
Vocal Jazz - Released by Reborn recordings on 19 Nov 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Swing Time, 1940-41, Vol. 2 (Hq remastered 2023)
Jazz - Released by Vintage Recordings on 6 Aug 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Milestones of Jazz Legends - More Jazz Guitar, Vol. 1 (1939-1950)
Jazz - Released by Intense Media GmbH on 18 Mar 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ac-DC Current (EP) (All Tracks Remastered)
Jazz - Released by Hit Singles Records on 27 Mar 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Flying Home / Rose Room (feat. Benny Goodman / Jerry Jerome Quintet / Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra) (Remastered 2020)
Jazz - Released by Hit Singles Records on 25 May 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
At Minton's (1940) [Original Jazz Sound]
Bebop - Released by Original Jazz Sound on 1 Jan 1941
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Godfather of Jazz Guitar, Vol. 2
Jazz - Released by Suburban Squire on 23 Oct 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Godfather of Jazz Guitar, Vol. 1
Jazz - Released by Suburban Squire on 23 Oct 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Goodbye and Good Luck
Jazz - Released by Nagel heyer records on 4 Jul 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Godfather of Jazz Guitar, Vol. 3
Jazz - Released by Suburban Squire on 23 Oct 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Godfather of Jazz Guitar, Vol. 4
Jazz - Released by Suburban Squire on 23 Oct 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Charlie Christian & Benny Goodman
Charlie Christian, Benny Goodman
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by SINETONE AMR on 23 Aug 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Haven't Named It Yet / Poor Butterfly (All Tracks Remastered)
Jazz - Released by Hit Singles Records on 7 Nov 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Flying Home (The Collection)
Jazz - Released by Save The Last REC on 5 Aug 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo