Search - Charlie Christian :: Immortal Charlie Christian - Guest Artist

Incredible for the first 5 songs but..........

Doug Robinson | Lausanne, Switzerland via USA | 06/09/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The first 5 songs on this record are some of the most incredible recordings Charlie Christian made and are of great interest to anyone who wants to know about the history of jazz (bebop origins specifically), or the history of the electric guitar. Charlie Christian is one of the two most influential and important electric guitar players in history (Jimi Hendrix the other), revealing possibilities never before imagined on his instrument, changing the role of his instrument within his genre forever. If the CD contained only the first 5 songs it would easily rank 5 stars. HOWEVER, I believe the final 5 songs of the copy of this CD that I have (doesn't have the Columbia label on it, but has the same song list) are in fact, NOT CHARLIE CHRISTIAN recordings. They are the exact same recordings (not just the same songs, but the same recordings) as those on Dizzy Gillespie's "Groovin' High" recorded 3 years after Mr. Christian passed away. One can tell that the first 5 songs sound "live", with people yelling in the background, whereas the last 5 are of typical 78 rpm recording length, are more carefully arranged, and DO NOT feature the guitar player. In fact, on "Hot House" you will not hear a guitar player at all. If this is the case with the Columbia version (it is impossible to hear samples of any of the last 5 songs through Amazon; I believe this was done intentionally to hide the truth from a potential buyer), it is quite misleading and unethical. For a collection with only recordings that Jerry Newman made at Minton's, possibly Charlie Christian/Dizzy Gillespie/Thelonius Monk is the only consistent collection available but I haven't heard it yet. For the same reason, it is suggested to avoid buying the import 'Swing to Bop.'"

Great music but what you see isn't what you get

bukhtan | Chicago, Illinois, USA | 08/13/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The first five pieces feature Charlie Christian in jam sessions at Minton's Playhouse. Great primordial bebop played with Monk, Byas, Dizzy and others.
The second group are fully developed bebop, played by Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Slam Stewart in 1945. Charlie Christian had died some years earlier, as pointed out by another Amazon reviewer. This guitarist is Remo Palmeri.
This is the same selection of pieces put out by Laserlight some years ago under Charlie Christian's name, with the same title."

The cornerstone of modern jazz guitar

djangoism | Milwaukee, WI USA | 12/13/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Charlie Christian was, without question, a genius in both his technique and his tasteful, relaxed, inspired phrasing. However, his guitar playing was not just mindless noodling, technique for technique's sake. Listening to this CD reminds me of a quote by Maurice Ravel: "We should always remember that sensitiveness and emotion constitute the real content of a work of art." Charlie Christian definitely conveyed this quite clearly. One can hear his love of music clearly in his playing.Without his legacy, the world of jazz and jazz guitar would likely not have developed as it did, since when listening to this CD, one can hear his distinct bop inflections, a style that would not come into its own until years after his untimely death in 1942 of tuberculosis. Like Django Reinhardt, Christian was a true pioneer in his field. This CD offers a too-rare glimpse into his genius. One can only wonder how his style would have evolved and how much deeper his impact on music would have been had he lived longer...
I highly recommend this CD to any aspiring jazz guitarist who wishes to hear it right from the source, or to any swing/jazz aficionado. Additionally, any Benny Goodman recording that features Christian's playing (or not, for that matter) would be worth acquiring, as well. If you listen to Goodman tunes such as 'Flying Home', you can hear Charlie's influence, and as a matter of fact, you can hear it to this day. We owe it to artists like Charlie Christian to not let this music die out. It is as fresh today as it was sixty years ago."