Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Charlie Christian's tragic death at the age of 23 is a firmly entrenched fact of jazz mythology. On The Genius of the Electric Guitar, which consists of various tracks recorded with the Benny Goodman Sextet and Orchestra, Christian's revolutionary guitar playing is clearly displayed. In keeping with the era, each of these 16 songs is relatively short, with each soloist allowed only a chorus or two to make their statements. Paucity of time troubles Christian and his compatriots not a whit, however, and they let loose with concise, swinging lines. Of the other soloists on display here, Lionel Hampton and Goodman himself play admirably, but Christian is in a different league altogether, his sophistication remarkable. Exhibit A: his solo in "Rose Room." Logically constructed and rhythmically varied, it is nevertheless eminently singable. Supplementary evidence, for those not convinced, can be found on "Seven Come Eleven," "Solo Flight," and "Air Mail Special." Towards the second half of the disc there is a tendency towards more meandering, hookless charts, such as the studio throwaways "Blues in B" and "Waiting for Benny." The inclusion of these tracks, but the omission of the sides Christian recorded with his own quintet, is a puzzling choice on the part of reissue producers Bob Altshuler and Michael Brooks, and mars what is otherwise a first-rate selection of material. Nevertheless, The Genius of the Electric Guitar is a fine introduction, not just to Charlie Christian's brilliant and all-too-brief career, but to jazz guitar in general.
© Daniel Gioffre /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From kr133,33/month
A. Hickman, Composer - Artie Bernstein, Bass - Benny Goodman, Clarinet - Bob Altshuler, Producer - Charlie Christian, Electric Guitar - Charlie Christian, Performer - Fletcher Henderson, Piano - H. Williams, Composer - John Hammond, Producer - Lionel Hampton, Vibraphone - Michael Brooks, Producer - Nick Fatool, Drums - Tim Geelan, Engineer
(P) Originally Released 1939 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Artie Bernstein, Bass - Benny Goodman, Clarinet - Benny Goodman, Composer - Benny Goodman, Lyricist - Benny Goodman Sextet (featuring Benny Goodman & Charlie Christian), Performer - Charlie Christian, Composer - Charlie Christian, Electric Guitar - Charlie Christian, Lyricist - Fletcher Henderson, Piano - John Hammond, Producer - Lionel Hampton, Vibraphone - Nick Fatool, Drums
: Originally released 1941. All rights reserved by Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Artie Bernstein, Bass - Benny Goodman, Clarinet - Benny Goodman, Composer - Benny Goodman, Lyricist - Benny Goodman, Performer - Charlie Christian, Electric Guitar - Charlie Christian, Performer - Count Basie, Piano - John Hammond, Producer - Lionel Hampton, Composer - Lionel Hampton, Lyricist - Lionel Hampton, Vibraphone - Nick Fatool, Drums - The Benny Goodman Sextet, Performer
Originally released 1940. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Artie Bernstein, Bass - Benny Goodman, Clarinet - Benny Goodman, Composer - Bob Altshuler, Producer - Charlie Christian, Electric Guitar - Charlie Christian, Performer - Count Basie, Composer - Count Basie, Piano - John Hammond, Producer - Lionel Hampton, Vibraphone - Michael Brooks, Producer - Nick Fatool, Drums - Tim Geelan, Engineer
(P) Originally Recorded 1940 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Artie Bernstein, Bass - Benny Goodman, Clarinet - Benny Goodman, Composer - Benny Goodman, Lyricist - Bob Altshuler, Producer - Charlie Christian, Electric Guitar - Charlie Christian, Performer - John Hammond, Producer - Johnny Guarnieri, Piano - Lionel Hampton, Vibraphone - Michael Brooks, Producer - Nick Fatool, Drums - Tim Geelan, Engineer
(P) Originally Released 1940 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Artie Bernstein, Bass - B. Goodman, Composer - B. Goodman, Lyricist - Benny Goodman, Clarinet - Benny Goodman, Performer - Charlie Christian, Electric Guitar - Charlie Christian, Performer - Dudley Brooks, Piano - John Hammond, Producer - Lionel Hampton, Vibraphone - Nick Fatool, Drums - The Benny Goodman Sextet, Performer
Originally released 1940. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Artie Bernstein, Bass - B. Goodman, Composer - B. Goodman, Lyricist - Benny Goodman, Clarinet - Benny Goodman, Performer - Charlie Christian, Electric Guitar - Charlie Christian, Performer - Cootie Williams, Trumpet - Count Basie, Piano - GEORGIE AULD, Tenor Saxophone - Harry Jaeger, Drums - John Hammond, Producer - The Benny Goodman Sextet, Performer
Originally Released 1941 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Artie Bernstein, Bass - Benny Goodman, Clarinet - Benny Goodman, Performer - C. Williams, Composer - C. Williams, Lyricist - Charlie Christian, Electric Guitar - Charlie Christian, Performer - Cootie Williams, Trumpet - Count Basie, Piano - GEORGIE AULD, Tenor Saxophone - Harry Jaeger, Drums - John Hammond, Producer - S. Williams, Composer - S. Williams, Lyricist - The Benny Goodman Sextet, Performer
Originally released 1941. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Artie Bernstein, Bass - Benny Goodman, Clarinet - Benny Goodman, Performer - Charlie Christian, Electric Guitar - Charlie Christian, Performer - Cootie Williams, Trumpet - Count Basie, Piano - GEORGIE AULD, Tenor Saxophone - Harold Arlen, Composer - Harry Jaeger, Drums - John Hammond, Producer - Ted Koehler, Lyricist - The Benny Goodman Sextet, Performer
Originally released 1941. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Artie Bernstein, Bass - B. Goodman, Composer - B. Goodman, Lyricist - Benny Goodman, Clarinet - Benny Goodman, Performer - Charlie Christian, Electric Guitar - Charlie Christian, Performer - Cootie Williams, Trumpet - Count Basie, Piano - GEORGIE AULD, Tenor Saxophone - Harry Jaeger, Drums - John Hammond, Producer - The Benny Goodman Sextet, Performer
Originally released 1941. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Artie Bernstein, Bass - Benny Goodman, Clarinet - Benny Goodman, Composer - Bob Altshuler, Producer - Charlie Christian, Electric Guitar - Charlie Christian, Performer - Cootie Williams, Trumpet - Count Basie, Piano - GEORGIE AULD, Tenor Saxophone - Jo Jones, Drums - John Hammond, Producer - Michael Brooks, Producer - Tim Geelan, Engineer
(P) Originally Released 1941 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Artie Bernstein, Bass - Benny Goodman, Clarinet - Bob Altshuler, Producer - Charlie Christian, Electric Guitar - Charlie Christian, Performer - Cootie Williams, Trumpet - Count Basie, Piano - GEORGIE AULD, Tenor Saxophone - Jack Palmer, Composer - Jack Palmer, Lyricist - Jo Jones, Drums - John Hammond, Producer - Michael Brooks, Producer - Spencer Williams, Composer - Spencer Williams, Lyricist - Tim Geelan, Engineer
(P) Originally Released 1941 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Alec Fila, Trumpet - Artie Bernstein, Bass - Benny Goodman, Clarinet - Benny Goodman, Composer - Bob Altshuler, Producer - Bob Snyder, Baritone Saxophone - Charlie Christian, Composer - Charlie Christian, Electric Guitar - Charlie Christian, Performer - Cootie Williams, Trumpet - Cutty Cutshall, Trombone - Dave Tough, Drums - GEORGIE AULD, Tenor Saxophone - Gus Bivona, Alto Saxophone - Irving Goodman, Trumpet - J. Mundy, Composer - JIMMY MAXWELL, Trumpet - John Hammond, Producer - Johnny Guarnieri, Piano - Lou McGarity, Trombone - Michael Brooks, Producer - Pete Mondello, Tenor Saxophone - SKIPPY MARTIN, Alto Saxophone - Tim Geelan, Engineer
(P) Originally Released 1941 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Artie Bernstein, Bass - Benny Goodman, Composer - Bob Altshuler, Producer - Charlie Christian, Performer - Charlie Christian, Tenor Saxophone - Dave Tough, Drums - GEORGIE AULD, Tenor Saxophone - John Hammond, Producer - Johnny Guarnieri, Piano - Michael Brooks, Producer - Tim Geelan, Engineer
(P) Originally Released 1941 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Artie Bernstein, Bass - Benny Goodman, Composer - Bob Altshuler, Producer - Charlie Christian, Electric Guitar - Charlie Christian, Performer - Cootie Williams, Trumpet - Dave Tough, Drums - GEORGIE AULD, Tenor Saxophone - John Hammond, Producer - Johnny Guarnieri, Piano - Michael Brooks, Producer - Tim Geelan, Engineer
(P) Originally Released 1941 Sony Music Entertainment
Artie Bernstein, Bass - Benny Goodman, Clarinet - Benny Goodman, Composer - Bob Altshuler, Producer - Charlie Christian, Composer - Charlie Christian, Electric Guitar - Charlie Christian, Performer - Cootie Williams, Trumpet - Dave Tough, Drums - GEORGIE AULD, Tenor Saxophone - J. Mundy, Composer - John Hammond, Producer - Johnny Guarnieri, Piano - Michael Brooks, Producer
(P) Originally Released 1941 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Album review
Charlie Christian's tragic death at the age of 23 is a firmly entrenched fact of jazz mythology. On The Genius of the Electric Guitar, which consists of various tracks recorded with the Benny Goodman Sextet and Orchestra, Christian's revolutionary guitar playing is clearly displayed. In keeping with the era, each of these 16 songs is relatively short, with each soloist allowed only a chorus or two to make their statements. Paucity of time troubles Christian and his compatriots not a whit, however, and they let loose with concise, swinging lines. Of the other soloists on display here, Lionel Hampton and Goodman himself play admirably, but Christian is in a different league altogether, his sophistication remarkable. Exhibit A: his solo in "Rose Room." Logically constructed and rhythmically varied, it is nevertheless eminently singable. Supplementary evidence, for those not convinced, can be found on "Seven Come Eleven," "Solo Flight," and "Air Mail Special." Towards the second half of the disc there is a tendency towards more meandering, hookless charts, such as the studio throwaways "Blues in B" and "Waiting for Benny." The inclusion of these tracks, but the omission of the sides Christian recorded with his own quintet, is a puzzling choice on the part of reissue producers Bob Altshuler and Michael Brooks, and mars what is otherwise a first-rate selection of material. Nevertheless, The Genius of the Electric Guitar is a fine introduction, not just to Charlie Christian's brilliant and all-too-brief career, but to jazz guitar in general.
© Daniel Gioffre /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 16 track(s)
- Total length: 00:48:59
- Main artists: Charlie Christian
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Columbia
- Genre: Jazz Bebop
(P) 1987 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.