Charlie Christian
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Charlie Christian (Charles Henry Christian, Bonham, Texas, 29 July 1916 – New York City, 2 March 1942) was an American swing and jazz guitarist.
Christian was an important early performer on the electric guitar, and is cited as a key figure in the development of bebop and cool jazz. He gained national exposure as a member of the Benny Goodman Sextet and Orchestra from August 1939 to June 1941. His single string technique combined with amplification helped bring the guitar out of the rhythm section and into the forefront as a solo instrument. John Hammond and George T. Simon called Christian the best improvisational talent of the Swing Era. In the liner notes to the 1972 Columbia album Solo Flight: The Genius of Charlie Christian, Gene Lees writes that “many critics and musicians consider that Christian was one of the founding fathers of bebop, or if not that, at least a precursor to it.”
Christian’s influence reached beyond jazz and swing, and in 1990 Christian was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2006, the City of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma renamed a street in its Bricktown entertainment district “Charlie Christian Avenue.” Oklahoma City is also the home of an annual jazz festival named for Christian.
Christian was born in Bonham, Texas, but his family moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, when he was a small child. Both of his parents were musicians and he had two brothers, Edward, born 1906, and Clarence, born 1911.
Christian was an important early performer on the electric guitar, and is cited as a key figure in the development of bebop and cool jazz. He gained national exposure as a member of the Benny Goodman Sextet and Orchestra from August 1939 to June 1941. His single string technique combined with amplification helped bring the guitar out of the rhythm section and into the forefront as a solo instrument. John Hammond and George T. Simon called Christian the best improvisational talent of the Swing Era. In the liner notes to the 1972 Columbia album Solo Flight: The Genius of Charlie Christian, Gene Lees writes that “many critics and musicians consider that Christian was one of the founding fathers of bebop, or if not that, at least a precursor to it.”
Christian’s influence reached beyond jazz and swing, and in 1990 Christian was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2006, the City of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma renamed a street in its Bricktown entertainment district “Charlie Christian Avenue.” Oklahoma City is also the home of an annual jazz festival named for Christian.
Christian was born in Bonham, Texas, but his family moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, when he was a small child. Both of his parents were musicians and he had two brothers, Edward, born 1906, and Clarence, born 1911.
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The Genius Of The Electric Guitar
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Genius of the Electric Guitar
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Celestial Express
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The Immortal Charlie Christian
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Shoutbox
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gangstayoda wrote:
glad i discovered him! (via Ted Gioia's great book THE HISTORY OF JAZZ)
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makwonda wrote:
GREAT JAZZ GUITAR WIZARDRY AT ITS BEST.......
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paintFive wrote:
forget Robert Johnson. It's all about Charlie Christian!
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Castizo wrote:
Fly, Charlie, fly.
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elskerJESUS wrote:
lovely
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MAXDADMAX wrote:
Wes Montgomery did not pioneer thumb playing!!!! spread the word, this was the inventor of thumb playing guitar jazz. guitar is the best jazz instrument.
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eliot_r wrote:
god.
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miqmiranda wrote:
Legendary!!
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BuddyDawg1 wrote:
RIP - one of the first electric guitar legends!
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BillyIdolsHair wrote:
Most important electric guitarist along with B.B and T-Bone
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CompSimpCarl wrote:
this is the muthafawkin' man
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guruofmusic wrote:
One Word. DUUDDEE!!!!
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smooth_operator wrote:
i wonder what greater achievements he would have got, if he hadn't died that young..
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danielrib3 wrote:
e o cara
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jstarkman wrote:
truth!
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SYL2Oh wrote:
Great sound, prodigious sense of swing, dazzling solos, Charlie Christian shines in all compartments of the game, including its rhythmic and harmonic audacity!
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oldmancallaghan wrote:
if i could only play like this guy. i don't want to be wes or kessel, just christian. so much style. he'd have ruled the guitar if he hadn't died too soon.
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Rens- wrote:
Absolutely awesome stuff.
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jimmyjammer wrote:
holler
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Recent Activity
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Balodiba and freak_out101 added Charlie Christian to their libraries. yesterday afternoon
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Student-kun tagged Charlie Christian with bebop, swing and jazz. Wednesday afternoon
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bigjimcolossimo, antonismavris, lastallport and 15 other people added Charlie Christian to their libraries. Tuesday morning
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beryl17 tagged Charlie Christian with ‘jazz’. last month
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beryl17, lapisdomine, ophirlevine and 4 other people added Charlie Christian to their libraries. last month
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helfarch tagged Charlie Christian with classic jazz and swing. last month
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AcousticKult, jo_87, juicyduce and 2 other people added Charlie Christian to their libraries. last month
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larrytristano, bklynNLsoldier, MrArmaar and 1 other person added Charlie Christian to their libraries. December 2011
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larrytristano tagged Charlie Christian with ‘jazz’. December 2011
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esther_Prague, sturossedwards, lester-young and 3 other people added Charlie Christian to their libraries. December 2011
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