CHARLIE CHRISTIAN+ BENNY GOODMAN

Title: Charlie Christian - With The Benny Goodman Sextet And Orchestra
Year/Genre/Sub-Genre/City: 1955, Guitar Jazz, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 10/26
Matrix #: N/A
Condition: VG+ (LM) | Members: Charlie C (16' - 42'), Benny G (09' - 86')
Cultural Facts:

1. The Audition Turned Into a Marathon: Producer and talent scout John Hammond brought Charlie Christian to Benny Goodman in 1939. Goodman was initially reluctant, but Christian joined an after-hours performance of “Rose Room” and kept trading ideas with the band for an extended jam. Goodman was convinced, and Christian joined his group.
2. Electric Guitar Becomes a Lead Instrument: Christian used amplification not simply to make the guitar louder, but to play long horn-like single-note lines alongside Goodman, Lionel Hampton and other soloists. His brief period with Goodman helped permanently change the guitar from a rhythm-section instrument into a featured jazz voice.
3. Gone at Only 25: Christian suffered from tuberculosis and died in 1942 at just 25 years old. His major recording career had lasted barely a few years, yet the Goodman sessions preserved enough revolutionary playing to influence generations of jazz, blues and rock guitarists.

10-4-26 AC