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Charlie Christian
From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist
Charlie Christian grew up in Oklahoma City and made the electric guitar a solo instrument. In 1939 the producer John Hammond brought him to Benny Goodman, in whose sextet he played for two years. With an amplifier the guitar could, for the first time, play as loud as a saxophone. Christian played long lines of eighth notes, like a horn player, with Lester Young as his example, and based himself on the chords. After his work with Goodman he went at night to Minton's Playhouse in Harlem, where he played with Thelonious Monk and Kenny Clarke; an amateur recorded a few sessions there in 1941. Christian had tuberculosis and died in 1942 at the age of 25.
Listening
Swing to Bop · Charlie Christian, 1941
Solo Flight · Benny Goodman, 1941- Seven Come Eleven · Benny Goodman, 1939
Solo Flight · Benny Goodman and His Orchestra met Charlie Christian, 1941Apple Music ↗
Discography
Studio albums
- 2009The Daddy of 'Em All
Other work
- 1939–1941Benny Goodman Sextet
- 1941Solo Flight · Benny Goodman Orchestra
- 1941Swing to Bop · opname in Minton's
In School of Rock
The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.
- Jazz MapNL Map
- Mixtape 9: The InstrumentNL Reader
- After Hours: Session 2NL Reader
Mentioned in other articles
- Electric guitar Technology
In the band of Benny Goodman, Charlie Christian showed that the guitar could now be a solo instrument.