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Once a musician's influence becomes widespread and absorbed, it's often a good idea to step back and remember how revolutionary their work was in its day. Charlie Christian's role as a forefather of the electric guitar was forged not just because he was among the first to use the then-new technology in the late '30s, but also because of his playing. He understood that an electric guitar is a different creature than an acoustic, and he explored this difference with fearless aplomb during his tragically short life (he died in 1942 at the age of 25).
This four-disc set is a powerful celebration of Christian's legacy. As a young man playing alongside some of the giants of his day, he held his own. His fluid lines became part of basic and continuing language of the electric guitar, setting the stage for everyone from Les Paul to Jimi Hendrix. Beautifully mastered, the 98 tracks here include 17 previously unreleased performances (and another 27 never previously issued in the U.S.). Lovingly compiled, this is an essential title, not just for a jazz fan, but for any fan of the electric guitar--it all traces back to Charlie Christian. --David Greenberger
The Genius of the Electric Guitar (Deluxe Box Set) Reviews
The Genius of the Electric Guitar (Deluxe Box Set) Reviews
| 52 of 53 people found the following review helpful  Half five stars, half three stars..., By This review is from: The Genius of the Electric Guitar (Deluxe Box Set) (Audio CD) This four-disc collection is an essential historical document. GENIUS brings together all available material recorded mostly by Benny Goodman's legendary 1939-1941 combo, in which the groundbreaking guitarist Charlie Christian was among the participants. The upgraded sound quality is amazing considering when it was recorded (as good or better than the recent Billie Holiday boxed set). As another reviewer mentioned, the packaging is odd...let's just say you may want to have some jewel boxes available to better protect your purchase.The music here is often not that far removed from bebop, which revolutionized jazz a few years later. In my mind, bebop built on recordings such as these, rather than broke away from them as some would have you believe. Ironically (given the low opinion some jazz fans have of the rock genre), a number of these tracks also seem not far removed from 1950s rock'n'roll and r&b. Christian's inventive solos may sound quite familiar today--albeit still... Read more 26 of 27 people found the following review helpful  Great set, but not just Charlie Christian, By "snake@netmagic.net" (Sunnyvale, California United States) - See all my reviews This review is from: The Genius of the Electric Guitar (Deluxe Box Set) (Audio CD) Before commenting on the music, I should note that the packaging isdifferent than most. The CDs are mounted on a piece of foam-sponge material without sleeves. The arrangement does make it easy to get to the CDs (often a hassle with elaborate box sets), but potential buyers should know what they're going to get in terms of packaging. The CDs appeared to be fine, and the arrrangement is convenient, but one has to be careful not to scrape the CDs when putting those back in. Also, those who aren't familiar with Charlie Christian's playing should 18 of 20 people found the following review helpful The definitive collection of a jazz great, By This review is from: The Genius of the Electric Guitar (Deluxe Box Set) (Audio CD) Rising to fame as a soloist in Benny Goodman's band, guitarist Charlie Christian was one of jazz music's most prominent and influential champions of the electric guitar as a solo instrument. His rich, loud tones and amplified leads were new to the jazz vocabulary, and opened the way for every guitarist from Barney Kessel, Wes Montgomery and Charlie Hunter on down. Christian only basked in the limelight for a few years, though -- joining Goodman's band in 1938 after a few years in the Southwest jazz circuit, the guitarist was felled by tuberculosis, and died in March, 1942, less than a year after his final studio session dates. This 4-CD set tracks his entire career with Goodman, highlighting his revolutionary work in Goodman's various small combo sextets, septettes and trios. Christian's style of matching other soloists such as Goodman and Lionel Hampton note-for-note was nothing short of revolutionary: up until then, the guitar had been primarily a rhythm instrument, and though... Read more |
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