Charlie Christian w/ Count Basie

[take5]

I recently heard a sweet tune from ~1940 where Charlie Christian plays with Count Basie and Lester Young in a small group setting. I didn't even know that ever happened. I didn't catch the name of the tune, but it was, as expected, great.

I don't own any Charlie Christian yet but have been meaning to get a comp of some sort. Is that tune on his more popular comps, like Genius of the Electric Guitar, or is this some obscure recording?

[Fer Urbina]

I recently heard a sweet tune from ~1940 where Charlie Christian plays with Count Basie and Lester Young in a small group setting. I didn't even know that ever happened. I didn't catch the name of the tune, but it was, as expected, great.

I don't own any Charlie Christian yet but have been meaning to get a comp of some sort. Is that tune on his more popular comps, like Genius of the Electric Guitar, or is this some obscure recording?

Hi - Best online resource on Charlie Christian is Leo Valdés's site (http://home.elp.rr.com/valdes/). Don't miss his discography.

Prez and CC recorded twice together, one live (From Spirituals To Swing, Christmas Eve of 1939), one in the studio (October 28, 1940, a pick-up group that possibly fed the rumours about Benny Goodman taking over Basie's band... it didn't happen).

The details you're looking for are here.

IIRC Chris Albertson was involved in the first issue of those studio recordings.

F

[take5]

Thanks. It was probably "Ad Lib Blues" I heard.

[Ted O'Reilly]

take 5, reading your original post, I didn't know just what it was you meant when you said "comp".

Generally, in jazz, I've found when that word is used it's in the context of playing aCOMPaniment. ("Hey, doesn't Tommy Flanagan comp good!?!")

I now think your meaning is COMPilation, as in a disc...

Is that right?

[take5]

Yes Ted, I meant a CD compilation. Sorry.

I ordered a 4 CD box set yesterday that has studio and live material of CC's recordings, including the afore-mentioned tracks. Looking forward to it.

[king ubu]

that session with Prez, Christian and Basie is one of the marvels of small group swing, in my opinion! only heard all of it last year, when I finally got myself a copy of that christian 4CD box - the session with Prez and Basie clearly is among the highlights!

[Fer Urbina]

that session with Prez, Christian and Basie is one of the marvels of small group swing, in my opinion! only heard all of it last year, when I finally got myself a copy of that christian 4CD box - the session with Prez and Basie clearly is among the highlights!

Mmm... for the Prez-CC combination I prefer the live tracks from Spirituals To Swing 1939 (even though CC half misses his cue to solo on "Way Down Yonder...", you can hear him turning up his amp).

As for small groups, the October 28, 1940 has a very promising line-up, but personally I think that some of the tunes recorded by Goodman and his Sextette featuring Jo Jones and Basie are tighter. Personal favourites are both takes of "I Found A New Baby" and Jo Jones' hi-hat on... I think it is "Gone With What Draft", the one where CC plays Eddie Durham's guitar break from Jimmie Lunceford's "Avalon".

F

(Edit to exchange a set of cymbals for a hi-hat.)

Edited March 5, 2008 by Fer Urbina

[Big Beat Steve]

that session with Prez, Christian and Basie is one of the marvels of small group swing, in my opinion! only heard all of it last year, when I finally got myself a copy of that christian 4CD box - the session with Prez and Basie clearly is among the highlights!

I assume you are talking about the 28 Oct., 1940 session issued earlier on Jazz Archives JA-6 and JA-42?

I understand JA-6 had to be withdrawn at one point so the material was later re-reissued on JA-42. What's the story behind this? Anybody knows?

Edited March 5, 2008 by Big Beat Steve

[John L]

As I understand, the 1940 session with Christian and Pres will also be included on the Lester Young w/Basie Mosaic that will be released next month.

[king ubu]

that session with Prez, Christian and Basie is one of the marvels of small group swing, in my opinion! only heard all of it last year, when I finally got myself a copy of that christian 4CD box - the session with Prez and Basie clearly is among the highlights!

I assume you are talking about the 28 Oct., 1940 session issued earlier on Jazz Archives JA-6 and JA-42?

That's the session I was under the assumption everybody was talking about in this thread...

I understand JA-6 had to be withdrawn at one point so the material was later re-reissued on JA-42. What's the story behind this? Anybody knows?

I have no idea about that, but as I have mentioned owning this session as part of the Christian Sony 4CD box (maybe I wasn't clear enough, the genius one with all the official material), I assume that part of your post wasn't directed at me, really...

Fer, I'll have to play the tracks from the Spiritual to Swing concert again and compare. I've known them for a while but the studio session was new to me and I was simply blown away by it - that doesn't mean that the live tracks aren't even better, of course!

[Big Beat Steve]

I understand JA-6 had to be withdrawn at one point so the material was later re-reissued on JA-42. What's the story behind this? Anybody knows?

I have no idea about that, but as I have mentioned owning this session as part of the Christian Sony 4CD box (maybe I wasn't clear enough, the genius one with all the official material), I assume that part of your post wasn't directed at me, really...

No, it wasn't directed at you, rather at some of those forumists who may already have been involved in reissue production at a time when you or me just got started in record collecting.

Maybe somebody has some insight in this bit of trivia ... (and after all this time it can be told, right? )

[Stereojack]

I understand JA-6 had to be withdrawn at one point so the material was later re-reissued on JA-42. What's the story behind this? Anybody knows?

JA-6 also contained material by Benny Goodman taken from Columbia vaults. The label must have taken action, so JA deleted the LP. The later release containes no Columbia-owned material.

[Fer Urbina]

Fer, I'll have to play the tracks from the Spiritual to Swing concert again and compare. I've known them for a while but the studio session was new to me and I was simply blown away by it - that doesn't mean that the live tracks aren't even better, of course!

No wonder you were blown away! I'm listening to that session right now (hadn't listened to this for a while, I was writing off the top of my head) and even though the ensembles are a bit loose for my taste and there are rough spots here and there, some of the solos are very good. Also, not to be overlooked in this kind of vintage, the sound is excellent (I have the Genius boxed set). And Jo Jones... maybe the hi-hat went out of fashion just because no one could play it like him. Another thing about this session, because it is a small combo and the sound is so good, it's very convenient to appreciate the details, like how Jo Jones plays differently depending on the soloist.

I'll shut up now and keep on being blown away.

F

PS The thing about the Spirituals To Swing tracks is that both Prez and CC are magnificent. Also, there's no piano and the rhythm section are Jo Jones, Walter Page and Freddie Green..., and the excitement, I guess, of playing Carnegie Hall, second or third time for the Basie-ites who had already hit the big time, but only second time for CC, and on top of that with his idol (Prez)... as far as I know that combo was not programmed (there are stories of Goodman not being happy about having "his" new star play without him on stage) and it was a group of musicians, all black, that knew each other from way back...

[Christiern]

I understand JA-6 had to be withdrawn at one point so the material was later re-reissued on JA-42. What's the story behind this? Anybody knows?

JA-6 also contained material by Benny Goodman taken from Columbia vaults. The label must have taken action, so JA deleted the LP. The later release containes no Columbia-owned material.

The Swedish guy who ran (runs?) JA is not to be trusted, I'm afraid he got his grubby hands on some material that I had my Columbia engineer transfer from the original acetates (Biilie, too) and foolishly given to my friend Karl Emil.

[Chuck Nessa]

JA, in the vinyl days was Jerry Valburn. He (with partner Marvin Goldsmith(?)) issued the lps. Don't know who's doing the cds.

[Christiern]

Thanks, Chuck, my mistake. I was thinking of JU (Jazz Unlimited). The Swede is off the hook and it all makes even more sense with Valburn involved. I can certify from personal experience that he is (was?) a liar and a thief. The material may have reached him via Driggs or Altschuler.

Karl Emil assured me that he would not let the tape I gave him get into the wrong hands, and I never, in all the years of our friendship, knew him to break a promise made to me.

[Big Beat Steve]

Uh oh ... all this DOES sound dramatic, at least to the unsuspecting collector who just appreciates some good music in his vinyl grooves. (and yes, I admit quite a few JA LP's are among my personal favorites of reissues from that era).