Refreshed

CHARLIE CHRISTIAN
The Genius of the Electric Guitar
(Columbia/Legacy)
Charlie Christian revolutionized the electric guitar. It can't be stated more bluntly than that. He was not, contrary to popular belief, the first person to play an electric six-string—Eddie Durham and Lonnie Johnson can battle it out over that honor. But Christian was the first to bring his ax out in front of the band. Before him, guitarists were relegated to the back row in ensembles, just another part of the rhythm section. In jazz and swing, the guitarist was often just filling the role previously inhabited by a banjo player. But Christian believed his instrument was capable of much more than just comping chords, and he proceeded to develop his talent enough to prove it. His solo style was equal parts the swing of the era and the blues of the music's roots, and his improvisational feel was second to none.

In fact, it was this latter skill that led Christian to the second, and much less heralded, part of his legacy. In the early forties, while enjoying success as part of Benny Goodman's groups, Christian was also taking time to hit Minton's Playhouse in New York, participating in its infamous jam sessions with everyone from Thelonious Monk to unsung drum pioneer Kenny Clarke. Minton's in the 40s was where bebop took shape, as the jazzers escaped the confines of the swing and pop tunes they played for the general public and just followed their instincts, improvising in ways they could never get away with at society dances. And Christian was there, a fixture in the house band, holding his own with greats like Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, adding his own ideas, helping build the foundation of bebop. Had he not tragically died of tuberculosis in 1942, at the age of 26, he would be hailed not only as the first guitar hero, but also as a co-creator of the most revolutionary stylistic wave in jazz history.

If you're hearing Christian for the first time (and you're not a guitarist), the history is a moot point. What about the music? After all, jazz musicians have had nearly 60 years to expand and improve on what Christian and his cohorts accomplished. Contemporary listeners could find this music to be dated, important more as archaeological artifacts than music. The Genius of the Electric Guitar, a four-CD box set from Legacy, seems to be designed with the Christian fanatic in mind, utilizing every scrap Christian recorded while with Benny Goodman and Columbia. How does this music hold up for the layman? (more)

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