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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.

1 hour

Last on

Sun 23 Jul 2017 00:00
BBC Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Earl Bostic, Clyde Hart, Sid Catlett, Charlie Christian, J.C. Higginbotham, Henry “Red” Allen, Artie Bernstein & Lionel Hampton

    Haven't Named it Yet

    • SOLO FLIGHT.
    • TOPAZ.
    • 5.

  • 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.

  • Charlie Christian

    Seven Come Eleven

    Composer: Benny Goodman. Performer: The Benny Goodman Sextet.
    • SOLO FLIGHT.
    • TOPAZ.
    • 6.

  • Benny Goodman

    Stompin' At the Savoy

    Performer: Kenny Clarke. Performer: Thelonious Monk. Performer: Charlie Christian. Composer: Edgar Sampson.
    • Swing into Bop.
    • Topaz.
    • 3.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Meade Lux Lewis

    Profoundly Blue

    Performer: Edmund Hall. Performer: Charlie Christian. Performer: Meade Lux Lewis. Performer: Israel Crosby.
    • Solo Flight.
    • Topaz.
    • 21.

  • 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.

  • Eddie DeLange

    Flying Home

    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.

  • Fats Waller

    Honeysuckle Rose

    Performer: Charlie Christian. Performer: Benny Goodman and His Boys. Composer: Andy Razaf.
    • SOLO FLIGHT.
    • TOPAZ.
    • 7.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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

 

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