Charlie Christian Genius of the Electric Guitar CD

THE GENIUS OF THE ELECTRIC GUITAR features recordings Charlie Christian made with the Benny Goodman Sextet and Orchestra, plus small studio groups recordings from 1939-1941.

Recorded between 1939 & 1941. Includes liner notes by Les Paul, Peter BRoadbent and Loren Schoenberg.

THE GENIUS OF THE ELECTRIC GUITAR was nominated for the 2003 Grammy Awards For Best Historical Album.

Charlie Christian's complete recorded output was limited to a large handful of studio sides cut with the Benny Goodman Sextet, some air checks and studio outtakes, the 1938 Spirituals to Swing concert at Carnegie Hall and a few live tapes made at Minton's (Harlem's legendary after-hours cradle of bebop). As often happens in such cases, this small amount of material has been repackaged every which way, making it hard to know where to start. Start here. Columbia's Jazz Masterpieces recordings feature digital remastering, a generous number of cuts, full documentation of sidemen and recording dates and interesting liner notes (not to mention cool hand-colored photography).

GENIUS OF THE ELECTRIC GUITAR features such essential repertoire as "Seven Come Eleven," "Breakfast Feud," "Air Mail Special," and Christian's one feature with the full Goodman big band, "Solo Flight" (known elsewhere as "Chonk, Charlie, Chonk"). Goodman always hired stellar personnel; during Charlie's all-too-short tenure (from 1939 to his death from tuberculosis at age 22 in 1941), the Sextet also included, for a few of these recordings, Count Basie on piano.

Includes liner notes by Chris Albertson.

Digitally remastered by Tim Geelan (CBS Studio, New York).

All tracks have been digitally remastered.

4 CD Del.Box W/17 Unrel.Tracks & 27 Unrel.In U.S.

Personnel includes: Charlie Christian (electric guitar); Georgie Auld (tenor saxophone); Benny Goodman (clarinet); Cootie Williams (trumpet); Lionel Hampton (vibraphone); Fletcher Henderson, Count Basie, Johnny Guarnieri, Dudley Brooks (piano); Artie Bernstein (acoustic bass); Jo Jones, Nick Fatool, Harry Jaeger, Dave Tough (drums).

Personnel includes: Charlie Christian (electric guitar); Benny Carter (alto saxophone): George Auld, Lester Young (tenor saxophone); Cootie Williams, Buck Clayton, Harry James (trumpet); Jack Teagarden (trombone); Benny Goodman (clarinet); Lionel Hampton (vibraphone); Count Basie, Fletcher Henderson, Johnny Guarnieri, Dudley Brooks, Ken Kersey, Jess Stacy (piano); Freddie Green (guitar); Artie Bernstein, Walter Page (bass); Nick Fatool, Jo Jones, Harry Jaeger, Dave Tough, Gene Krupa (drums).

Producer: John Hammond.

Compilation producers: Michael Brooks, Michael Cuscuna.

Personnel: Charlie Christian (electric guitar); Helen Forrest (vocals); Arnold Covey (guitar); Freddie Green (acoustic guitar); Benny Goodman (clarinet); Buff Estes, Gus Bivona, Skip Martin , Toots Mondello, Benny Carter , Les Robinson (alto saxophone); Bus Bassey, Eddie Miller, Georgie Auld, Jerry Jerome, Lester Young , Pete Mondello (tenor saxophone); Bob Snyder (baritone saxophone); Irving Goodman, Alec Fila, Cootie Williams, Harry James, Johnny Martel, Ziggy Elman, Jimmy Maxwell, Buck Clayton (trumpet); Ted Vesely, Jack Teagarden, Lou McGarity, Vernon Brown, Red Ballard, Cutty Cutshall (trombone); Count Basie, Ken Kersey, Dudley Brooks, Fletcher Henderson, Jess Stacy, Johnny Guarnieri (piano); Lionel Hampton (vibraphone); Harry Jaeger, Dave Tough, Gene Krupa, Jo Jones , Nick Fatool (drums).

Liner Note Authors: Peter Broadbent; Les Paul; Loren Schoenberg.

Recording information: Los Angeles, CA (10/02/1939); New York, NY (10/02/1939); World Studios, NY (10/02/1939).

Illustrators: Will Kennedy ; Mora Driscoll.

Arrangers: Fletcher Henderson; Jimmy Mundy.Rolling Stone (12/26/02, p.114) - Ranked #5 in Rolling Stone's list of 2002's "10 Best Reissues" - "...Christian died in 1942...a decade before the birth of rock. But this four-CD box...is evidence of his paternity."
Q (11/02, p.122) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Christian's astonishing single-string flights of fancy can still sound like a 21st century jazz guitarist jamming to a scratchy old 78..."
JazzTimes (9/02, p.90) - "...This well-appointed 4-CD set documents how Christian's attack, tone and phrasing laid the foundation for all who followed him..."
JazzTimes (9/02, p.90) - "...This well-appointed 4-CD set documents how Christian's attack, tone and phrasing laid the foundation for all who followed him..."
Mojo (Publisher) (1/03, p.73) - Ranked #4 in Mojo's "Best Box Sets & Compilations of 2002"
Mojo (Publisher) (10/02, p.113) - "...Christian...changed the face of jazz...[there's] a remastered sonic clarity that makes these 60-year old recordings sound fresh...