Author Topic: Great Unknown Guitar Player? (Read 327 times)

flaxattack · « **on:** March 15, 2013, 05:19:21 PM »

I was trying to fill my 60gb ipod
Came across this cd. i think-not sure- that jerry said was an influence. He played guitar during the big band era.
His name was Charlie Christian.
Review
The popularity of the electric guitar, the instrumental backbone of contemporary music, is unthinkable without Charlie Christian. In a career that lasted barely three years, Christian (1916-1942) established the amplified guitar as a viable solo instrument, and had a huge influence on subsequent innovations in jazz, rhythm and blues and rock and roll (his significant role acknowledged by his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 1990).
Check him out if you never heard him. I have the Genius of Electric Guitar cd. He takes some breaks that are similar to jerry;s imho. lose your eyes except he was first.
damn shame he died so young..

cozmik_cowboy · « **Reply #1 on:** March 15, 2013, 08:16:28 PM »

Unknown? Not by a long shot; legendary. An influence on Jerry, and on everyone else who ever picked up an electric guitar! One of the first to amplify, he pretty much invented lead guitar; no one had thought of it before for the simple reason that a single-note line on acoustic in those horn-centric days would have been inaudible. If you don't have The Genius of the Electric Guitar, make it your next purchase. Jerry liked him, Benny Goodman liked him, Flax likes him - what more recommendation do you need?

Peter

smokinbear · « **Reply #2 on:** March 15, 2013, 09:47:55 PM »

Jerry loved Django too. Charlie was a true genius and that is a great listen since we don't have to much recorded history of the man. Bear

flaxattack · « **Reply #3 on:** March 16, 2013, 06:53:45 AM »

there is a lot on amazon but some of the audio quality is really poor especially the radio stuff.
hoping some of the younger members check him out.
django is in a class by himself. especially with is it 2 or 3 fingers that were useless on his left hand?
Good albums to check out are stephen grapelli on violin and django

flaxattack · « **Reply #4 on:** March 16, 2013, 06:58:05 AM »

just grabbed this on amazon
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000616B/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The Quintessential Django Reinhardt & Stephane Grappelli: Quintette Du Hot Club De France (25 Classics 1934-1940) i got one at 12$ w/shipping used

lbpesq · « **Reply #5 on:** March 16, 2013, 08:27:21 AM »

Django was god long before Clapton!

Bill, tgo

edwin · « **Reply #6 on:** March 17, 2013, 03:37:49 AM »

Interesting that these two names come up together. I was studying with Dale Bruning (Bill Frisell's teacher, who played with a number of jazz luminaries and is more or less in the Jim Hall mode. His duet album with Frisell is fantastic and the cover is wonderful, but I digress. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bruningfrisell) and he pointed out that pretty much all modern jazz guitarists come from either Charlie Christian or Django. They have left their own roots, which have become intertwined to some degree but if you listen to modern guitar players who are influenced by jazz, you can hear how it comes down to those two guys. Dale is definitely more of a Charlie Christian kind of guy.

Oh yeah, lessons with Dale are no joke. The very first assignment i had was to play all the different triads (there are more than you probably think) across all the string sets throughout the whole instrument. Practicing it was hard enough, but watching Dale write the whole thing out, including the ones with double flats and double sharps, in about 5 minutes was staggering.

cozmik_cowboy · « **Reply #7 on:** March 17, 2013, 08:24:15 AM »

django is in a class by himself. especially with is it 2 or 3 fingers that were useless on his left hand?
Pinkie virtually gone, ring finger so limited as to pretty much be gone, too. He did that with 2 freakin' fingers. My mind has been boggled over that for 40 years non-stop!
Edwin: I guess I'd never thought of it that way, but now that you point it out, yeah; Charlie or Django, and you've covered everyone (BTW, I've had first-rate and well-informed guitarists tell me I'm nuts for saying this, but am I the only one who notices how much of Django comes out in Willie Nelson's solos?)

Peter

edwin · « **Reply #8 on:** March 17, 2013, 10:28:08 AM »

Not at all. I totally hear Django coming out of Willie. In fact, I would put country guitar players (all that fine country swing stuff!) firmly in the Django camp. I don't think that swing is the only habit those guys share.

lbpesq · « **Reply #9 on:** March 17, 2013, 11:32:32 AM »

Another Willie observation: his phrasing, (singing), has always reminded me of Frank Sinatra's.

Bill, tgo

edwin · « **Reply #10 on:** March 17, 2013, 11:39:40 AM »

I definitely hear that, too. Sort of a merging of Woody Guthrie, Django and Frank!

I think it's tempting to think of a lot of musicians coming out with their style from their own insular world, but it's often interesting to find out who people are actually listening to. It's interesting to know that the originators of reggae in Jamaica were huge country music fans!

lbpesq · « **Reply #11 on:** March 17, 2013, 12:04:42 PM »

I've always believed country and reggae were very similar, the main difference being the downbeat on the One with country and on the Three with reggae.

Bill, tgo

hankster · « **Reply #12 on:** March 19, 2013, 06:52:39 PM »

But back to Charlie Christian. A true genius - his phrasing and choice of notes is just unbelievable, moreso when you consider his age. First heard him 40 years ago. Still shake my head.

hydrargyrum · « **Reply #13 on:** March 20, 2013, 05:39:55 AM »

John Lennon had his Les Paul junior modified with a Charlie Christian pick up. Just one more name to add to the list influenced by Christian.

As for unknown guitar players, check out Alvino Rey. He may be well known among this crowd, but I heard him for the first time the other day and was floored.

flaxattack · « **Reply #14 on:** March 22, 2013, 03:43:51 PM »

just got what i bought through amazon. its django reinhardt- i got rhythm- 3 box set- very nicely done. it wasnt what i ordered. so i email the seller only to find out that what i bought had 25 songs- the 3cds - 66 DOH

THERE ARE A FEW ON AMAZON FOR $10 BUCKS USED- NEW ONES ARE LIKE 45- SO ACT NOW
http://www.amazon.com/I-Got-Rhythm-Django-Reinhardt/dp/B0009VKRPS/ref=sr_1_5?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1363992001&sr=1-5&keywords=django+reinhardt+i+got+rhythm

i could listen to this music forever, the quality for its age is wonderful. captures the era.
ps- django used his for and middle finger