Featuring Charlie Christian: 1939-41

Featuring Charlie Christian: 1939-41

Featuring Charlie Christian: 1939-41

ASIN: B0000026TA

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
By 1939 not only had Benny Goodman fronted one of jazz's most popular big bands, but he'd also created highly influential "chamber jazz" with his legendary trio and quartet. Once he heard the young guitar pioneer Charlie Christian, Goodman immediately expanded his small group to a sextet to accommodate him (along with bassist Artie Bernstein). Goodman's recordings with Christian remain some of the genre's most significant work, largely because of the impact of Christian's revolutionary guitar. In fact, many of these original tunes are based on Christian's own "pet licks," showing us just how logical and well constructed his improvisations are. Christian's harmonically advanced single-note solos are a precursor to bebop, but even more importantly, he establishes the guitar as an equal partner to the horn soloists. No longer relegated to rhythm work, Christian's lines are every bit as awe-inspiring as those of the leading blowers of the day. Christian is simply inventing the vocabulary of modern jazz guitar. The sextet is fleshed out by the likes of Lionel Hampton, Fletcher Henderson, Count Basie, and Cootie Williams, and Goodman, never one to be outdone by his sidemen, plays with the vibrancy and the sort of "relaxed precision" that only he was capable of. --Marc Greilsamer

Featuring Charlie Christian: 1939-41,Benny Goodman Sextet,Sony,Big Band,Big Bands,Jazz,Jazz Music,Pop,Sweet Bands,Swing,United States of America
Featuring Charlie Christian: 1939-41
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Selections
  • Swing like Mad
  • goodman is quite good.
  • Great music..great sound...and-I'd buy it for the cover alone...
  • More great guitar +
 Featuring Charlie Christian: 1939-41
Benny Goodman
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
Swing GeneralSwing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
Classic Big BandClassic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
Contemporary Big BandContemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
CDs $7 - $10CDs $7 - $10 | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
All Bargain TitlesAll Bargain Titles | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
4-for-3 Jazz4-for-3 Jazz | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
4-for-3 Pop4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
4-for-3 All Music4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Original Guitar Hero
  2. After Hours
  3. The Complete Capitol Trios
  4. The Genius of the Electric Guitar
  5. Complete RCA Victor Small Group Master Takes

ASIN: B0000026TA
Release Date: 1989-08-07

Tracks:

  1. Flying Home
  2. Stardust
  3. Memories Of You
  4. Soft Winds
  5. Shivers
  6. AC/DC Current
  7. I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)
  8. The Sheik Of Araby
  9. Poor Butterfly
  10. I Surrender, Dear
  11. These Foolish Things
  12. Good Enough To Keep
  13. Breakfast Feud
  14. I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby
  15. Gilly
  16. On the Alamo
  17. Gone With What Draft
  18. A Smo-o-o-oth One

Amazon.com essential recording

By 1939 not only had Benny Goodman fronted one of jazz's most popular big bands, but he'd also created highly influential "chamber jazz" with his legendary trio and quartet. Once he heard the young guitar pioneer Charlie Christian, Goodman immediately expanded his small group to a sextet to accommodate him (along with bassist Artie Bernstein). Goodman's recordings with Christian remain some of the genre's most significant work, largely because of the impact of Christian's revolutionary guitar. In fact, many of these original tunes are based on Christian's own "pet licks," showing us just how logical and well constructed his improvisations are. Christian's harmonically advanced single-note solos are a precursor to bebop, but even more importantly, he establishes the guitar as an equal partner to the horn soloists. No longer relegated to rhythm work, Christian's lines are every bit as awe-inspiring as those of the leading blowers of the day. Christian is simply inventing the vocabulary of modern jazz guitar. The sextet is fleshed out by the likes of Lionel Hampton, Fletcher Henderson, Count Basie, and Cootie Williams, and Goodman, never one to be outdone by his sidemen, plays with the vibrancy and the sort of "relaxed precision" that only he was capable of. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Selections.......2007-01-15

The performances are good, but I've heard better selections featuring Charlie Christian on other recordings.

5 out of 5 stars Swing like Mad.......2006-12-21

This is a great CD; for fans of Christian it provides a good insight into a significant part of his short career (he is not a mere sideman on this album), although I would personally always choose Kenny Burrell, Barney Kessell of Joe Pass over Christian...

Influential as he was, later electric guitar players just seem more imaginative and versatile artists than good old Charlie... As for older cats, Django was not surpassed by Christian; even when he embraced the electric guitar he was still his brilliant self; number one guitar player of the swing style...

Actually, this CD is so brilliant because of Goodman, Hampton, George Auld and other sophisticated swing players (Count Basie and Jo Jones are guests on two numbers!), PARTICULARLY because of Goodman, ellegant but hot, and, of course, because of good old Cootie Williams on last few selections... This was the trumpeter's golden era; he was still fresh from Duke Ellington orchestra... Just listen to his intros; they sound like nuclear explosion contained in a jar; just listen to his growling cressendos; they sound like the jar has exploded and nothin' can keep the mushroom from appearing over your cd player...

5 out of 5 stars goodman is quite good........2006-08-04

Benny goodman is one of the most influental fiddle players. it's amazing to hear him play, and his bow techniques are flabergasting. with him and charlie christain, this cd is a must have

5 out of 5 stars Great music..great sound...and-I'd buy it for the cover alone..........2006-07-12

Benny Goodman-lb. for lb. maybe the coolest cat of 'em all-first bandleader to integrate-appears here with the great electric guitarist Charlie Christian,Lionel Hampton,Fletcher Henderson,Cootie Williams-and more;the sound is great-and I'd buy the cd for the cd cover alone-Benny with a cigarette(he could get shot for that today)and Charlie Christian.

5 out of 5 stars More great guitar +.......2001-03-16

This disc and "Genius of the Electric Guitar" together provide a solid overview of Christian's phenomenal recording career with Benny Goodman. Contrary to what another review here might lead you to believe, Christian takes plenty of passes and is in top form. Plus, the disc features plenty of phenomenal playing by Fletcher Henderson, Lionel Hampton, Cootie Wilson, Georgie Auld, and of course Benny Goodman. Very, very enjoyable.

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