Charlie Christian

Charles Henry Christian was an American musician known for playing swing and jazz guitar. He lived from July 29, 1916, until March 2, 1942. Charlie was one of the first people to use an electric guitar in a big way, which helped change how guitars were used in music.

He became very famous when he joined the Benny Goodman Sextet and Orchestra in August 1939. He stayed with them until June 1941. During this time, people got to hear his amazing guitar playing on the radio and in concerts all over the country.

Charlie had a special way of playing the guitar called a "single-string technique." This meant he could make beautiful, clear sounds by using just one string at a time. Because he was one of the first to use an electric guitar, he helped make the guitar a main instrument for playing solo pieces, not just background music. Many people say he was the first to really show how a guitar could be a lead instrument in jazz and swing music. His work helped shape new styles like bebop and cool jazz.

Early life

Charlie Christian was born on July 29, 1916, in Bonham, Texas. When he was very young, his family moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. His parents were musicians, and they taught him and his brothers to play music.

Charlie went to Frederick A. Douglass High School in Oklahoma City. There, a teacher named Zelia N. Breaux encouraged him to play music. He wanted to play the tenor saxophone, but she thought he should play the trumpet instead. Because he didn’t want his lips to get sore, he stopped and played baseball instead, which he was very good at.

Later, a guitarist named "Bigfoot" Ralph Hamilton secretly taught Charlie how to play jazz guitar. Soon, Charlie was performing music locally and traveling through the Midwest, even as far as North Dakota and Minnesota. By 1936, he was playing an electric guitar and became well-known in the area. He jammed with famous musicians who passed through Oklahoma City, like Teddy Wilson, Art Tatum, and Mary Lou Williams, who played piano for Andy Kirk and His Clouds of Joy.

Career

In 1939, Charlie Christian auditioned for a music producer who recommended him to the famous bandleader Benny Goodman. Goodman was one of the few white bandleaders to include Black musicians in his band. Christian impressed Goodman with his guitar playing, and soon he became a member of Goodman's band.

Christian joined Goodman's new group, the Goodman Sextet, in September 1939. He quickly became famous for his guitar skills and was even voted into a top music group called the Metronome All-Stars. He played beautiful, smooth music that influenced many other musicians. His talent helped create a new style of jazz music known as bebop.

Personal life

Charlie Christian had a daughter named Billie Jean Christian. She was born on December 23, 1932, and passed away on July 19, 2004.

In the late 1930s, Charlie Christian got very sick with tuberculosis, a serious illness that affects the lungs. He was in the hospital for a short time when his band, led by Benny Goodman, took a break. Later, he went back to playing music in New York City but kept getting sick. In June 1941, he was in the hospital again, and even though doctors thought he was getting better, he sadly passed away from tuberculosis on March 2, 1942, at just 25 years old. He was buried in Bonham, Texas, though his grave didn’t have a marker at first. Later, a historical marker and headstone were placed there to remember him.

Style and influences

Charlie Christian is remembered as one of the most important early players of jazz guitar. His playing style was unique, often compared to the sound of wind instruments, which he admired. He was inspired more by players of saxophones and other horns than by guitarists of his time.

Though others had used electric guitars before him, Christian helped shape the modern electric guitar sound. Many famous guitarists and musicians in jazz and rock were inspired by his work. Even after he passed away, he remained a top choice in jazz guitar polls for two years. His influence can still be heard in the music of many great players.

Instruments

Charlie Christian played several special guitars during his time. He used an Epiphone Deluxe guitar from 1934 to 1937, and later a Gibson ES-150 guitar with a special amplifier from 1937 to 1940. In 1940, he played a custom Gibson ES-250 guitar until early 1941, and then another custom ES-250 until his passing in 1942. He also had a custom Gibson L-5 guitar with a special pickup, delivered just before he passed away in March 1942. The pickup he used on his guitars became famous and was called the "Charlie Christian pickup".

Legacy

Many people think Charlie Christian was one of the best guitar players of his time. He helped shape the sound of jazz music, especially a style called bebop.

After he passed away, Charlie was honored in several important music halls of fame. In 2006, a street in Oklahoma City was named after him to remember his contributions to music.

Discography

Charlie Christian never released his own recordings as the main artist. Instead, many collections of his work have been put together. These include times when he played with other musicians, practice sessions, and some lower-quality recordings from nightclubs.

With Benny Goodman

• Charlie Christian with the Benny Goodman Sextet and Orchestra (Columbia, 1955)
• Solo Flight: The Genius of Charlie Christian (Columbia, 1972)
• The Genius of the Electric Guitar, 1939–1941 recordings (Columbia, 1987)
• The Benny Goodman Sextet Featuring Charlie Christian 1939–41 (Columbia, 1989)
• Solo Flight, with the Benny Goodman Sextet (Vintage Jazz Classics, 1991)
• Guitar Wizard (Le Jazz / Charly, 1993)
• Complete Studio Recordings (Definitive, 2000) 4-CD box set
• Complete Live Recordings (Definitive, 2001) 4-CD box set
• Radioland 1939–1941 (Fuel 2000 / Varèse Sarabande, 2001)
• The Genius of the Electric Guitar (Columbia/Legacy, 2002) 4-CD box set
• First Master of the Electric Guitar: Selected Broadcasts & Jam Sessions, Remastered (JSP, 2002) 4-CD box set
• Charlie Christian – The Original Guitar Genius (Proper, 2005) 4-CD box set
• The Genius of the Electric Guitar (Definitive, 2005)
• Solo Flight: Live! with the Benny Goodman Sextet (Definitive, 2008)
• On the Air (Fuel 2000 / Varèse Sarabande, 2009)
• Yale University Archives, Vol. 5: NBC Broadcast Recordings 1936–1943 (Nimbus, 2010)
• Electric, with the Benny Goodman Sextet and the Charlie Christian Quartet (Uptown, 2011)

With Lionel Hampton

• The Complete Lionel Hampton 1937–1941 (Bluebird, 1976) 6-LP box set

With others

• From Spirituals to Swing – Carnegie Hall Concerts 1938/39 (Vanguard, 1959) 2-LP

Filmography

Here are some movies about Charlie Christian:

• 2005: Solo Flight: The Genius of Charlie Christian
• 2007: Charlie Christian – The Life & Music of the Legendary Jazz Guitarist (Grossman Guitar Workshop)