Charlie Christian was born on July 29, 1916 in Bonham, Texas but grew up in Oklahoma City. His dad was a singer/guitarist, his mom a pianist, and they played in a Dallas cinema although he was a youngster. His 2 bothers had been as well musicians. Christian started his musical profession on the trumpet but due to a substantial chest situation switched to the guitar at age 12. He too had some understanding of the bass and the piano. Soon after the family's relocation to Oklahoma City in 1921, Christian senior lost his sight. To make a living he in the end ended up getting a street artist accompanied by his 3 youngsters, Clarence on violin and mandolin, Edward on string bass, and Charlie on guitar.
All through the early 1930s, Charlie Christian played guitar in his brother Edward's band "The Jolly Jugglers". He 1st gained broader recognition for his clear talent in 1937 while he signed up with The Anna Mae Winburn Orchestra. He then played in 1938 with The Alphonso Trent Sextet. Christian became captivated with the electric amplified guitar though he saw Eddie Durham, who played an early variation of the electric instrument. Christian chose to discover the electric amplified guitar. He quickly mastered specifically what was then a brand-new instrument.
His reputation on the electric amplified guitar grew quite swiftly and jazz enthusiasts came from everywhere to hear his new and pioneering guitar style. His amplified single note lines sounded often such as a tenor saxophone. Christian started to introduce quite a few pioneering tips into his jazz improvisations. He utilized augmented and diminished chords in a manner which in the not also remote future would adjust the planet of jazz. His suggestions have been quite individualistic and he was a wonderful fan of Django Reinhardt's guitar strategy. He enjoyed playing Reinhardt's improvised choruses, note-for-note, on numbers including "St. Louis Blues" and then incorporate some of his personal improvised choruses.
In 1939 even though playing with The Leslie Sheffield Band he was heard by the influential jazz promoter, John Hammond. He had in fact been encouraged by pianist May possibly Lou Williams to travel to Oklahoma City to hear Charlie Christian. Hammond was so amazed he encouraged his brother-in-law, band leader Benny Goodman, to hear Christian. Goodman was initially reluctant to listen to the young guitar player but he in the end agreed to give him an audition on August 16, 1939 in Los Angeles. It only took a handful of bars of Charlie Christian soloing on "Rose Area" for the wonderful clarinetist to recognize the young guitarist's exceptional talent. Christian was hired on the spot.
In the 2 years that followed Charlie Christian became a key influence, not only in The Benny Goodman Main Band and Sextet, but likewise on the history of jazz. Soon after playing at evening with the Goodman band, Christian would go on to play into the early hours of the morning at Minton's Jazz Club in Harlem. Here he played for hours on finish, his inventive improvisations straight up influencing other jazz musicians who visited the club which includes Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Kenny Clarke, Joe Guy, and others. A couple of of these historical jam sessions fortunately have been tape-recorded for posterity by Jerry Newman.
Tragically the late nights and Christian's adore of the New York evening life did not assist his well being. He had really skilled poor wellness for several his life. In the spring of 1940 he was checked in to a healthcare facility where the healthcare diagnosis revealed that he had consumption. Regardless of the healthcare professionals' warnings he failed to take correct care of his wellness. In July 1941 he suffered a significant relapse and went into The Seaview Sanitarium on Staten Island. He died there in March of 1942.
Peabody Conservatory educated guitarist Steven Herron is an professional on jazz guitar instruction. He has spent most of his adult life playing professionally at clubs and restaurants also as teaching private students at his studio. Sign up now for his Totally free "Chord Harmonizations Article" and discover out much more about Charlie Christian solos.
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