BOOK & VIDEO REVIEWS

A Step-by-Step Breakdown of the Styles and Techniques of the Father of Modern Jazz Guitar

by Wolf Marshall
Hal Leonard Corp.;  2002;  62 pages

Music transcriptions by
Pete Billmann, Jeff Jacobson, Wolf Marshall
Hal Leonard Corp.;  2003;  128 pages

1.  Wolf Marshall’s  The Best of Charlie Christian

Wolf Marshall.  The Best of Charlie Christian:  A Step-by-Step Breakdown of the Styles and Techniques of the Father of Modern Jazz Guitar.  Published 2002 by Hal Leonard in the series “Guitar Signature Licks.”  62 pp. book, with audio CD.  $22.95

Wolf Marshall has produced an excellent collection of 15 CC solos.  Each transcription is accompanied by an analysis of its rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic features.  In the book there is also a CD, with recreations of the solos, and some ensemble passages.  Marshall has, on some titles, notated and commented on introductions, head arrangements, riffs and ensemble passages as well as solos.  The book’s graphic design is good, and the music engraving is of a high standard, well spaced on the page, and easy to read.  A brief biography of CC is included, with some interesting comments on the guitarist’s meeting with Barney Kessel (based on the author’s interview with Kessel).

Published transcriptions generally fall into three categories:  the academic thesis or dissertation (e.g. Howard Spring’s work);   musicological books (e.g. Schuller’s The Swing Era);  and sheet music collections.  Marshall’s book belongs to the last category, and joins a series of publications the earliest of which is probably Edmonds & Prince’s The Swingingest Charley Christian (1958).

We judge transcriptions by their accuracy, the quality of analysis, and originality of approach.  As can be seen from the transcriptions bibliography on this website, hundreds of CC transcriptions have been published.  Some of the most interesting analyses tend to be difficult to obtain—e.g. Spring’s work is found in an unpublished thesis and an academic periodical.  For some people’s taste Spring’s analyses are perhaps too lengthy.  Wolf Marshall’s book has achieved a good compromise;  his comments are not overlong, yet they highlight many points of interest.

He devotes about one page of commentary to each piece;  his observations are original and add to our enjoyment of the original solos.  For instance, in discussing “Shivers” he refers to the influence of Western Swing, and identifies part of the solo that quotes from “Turkey in the Straw” and “Arkansas Traveller,” melodies from this style of music.  As promised in the series title, Marshall often identifies CC’s favourite figures, and he gives useful summaries of the format of compositions, e.g.:

“Benny’s Bugle is a standard 12-bar blues in B flat.  The head is based on a two-measure riff melody moved through the I, IV and V chord changes of a blues progression.  The riff melody contains a triadic bugle-type arpeggio outlining of each chord of the progression…”

The choice of solos for this volume is well judged.  It includes a variety of tempi, the ballad “Star Dust,” the slow tempo “A Smo-o-o-oth One” (the correct spelling of which defeats the editor of this book as it does most) through to the upbeat “Seven Come Eleven” and “Good Enough to Keep.”  It would be hard to omit “Solo Flight” from a collection of CC’s best solos—Marshall obliges, and “Grand Slam” joins the record of one of the most transcribed CC solos—16 versions at least.  The version of “Shivers” notated here joins only two previously published transcriptions—Fox (1964) and Kuboki (1995).  A “first” is the appearance of take -1 of “A Smo-o-o-oth One”—a transcription of which has not previously been published.  If there is one addition I would like to have seen it would be examples of CC's use of double time—for instance the perfectly poised passages in solos on “Memories of You.”

Wolf Marshall and a small group strive to produce faithful recreations on the CD.  On “Solo Flight” Mike Tomaro has produced a very accurate simulation of the original big band arrangement;  it sounds as though he used a sequencing program for this.  Some of the pieces are more successful than others:  e.g. on “Star Dust” the guitar solo is very close to the original in tone, phrasing, and articulation.  The accompanying bass, drums and clarinet lines towards the end of the solo are also very accurate.  On “Seven Come Eleven,” the head arrangement and clarinet solo over the middle eight are very accurate, but the guitar solo sounds a little rushed, and some other titles have a similar problem.  It is possible that the accompanying musicians are from a rock or classical background and hence their rhythmic feel is not quite authentic at times.  However these are minor criticisms, as overall these are very authentic recreations.

As far as the accuracy of notation is concerned, Marshall has been conscientious about notating grace notes, articulations, bends, and slurs that are an important element of CC’s style.  His transcriptions also include tablature;  I assume that the tablature reflects how the solo would “normally” be played (or perhaps might most easily be played).  However, as Leo Valdes has suggested in recent postings on this site, it is likely that CC often used unconventional fingerings to achieve different timbre, or other effects, in his solos.  Others who have written about the soloist or notated his solos have not, to my knowledge, appreciated this intriguing aspect of his style.

Some of the transcriptions in the book have been published elsewhere.  Marshall’s Best of Jazz Guitar (2000) is a collection of transcriptions of various artists that has the same notation of “Honeysuckle Rose” that appears in the present album.  On his website, Marshall presents a page—“Introduction to the Charlie Christian Guitar Style”—that includes analysis of the same versions of “Honeysuckle Rose” and “Benny’s Bugle” as in the album reviewed.  This site provides a useful preview of what you can find in the printed version.  (Further reproductions of notations in the album are to be found in the next publication reviewed here.)

In summary, this is an attractively packaged collection of transcriptions, notated very accurately, with interesting analysis.  It can be highly recommended for anyone wishing to study or enjoy the music of Charlie Christian.   —Clive Downs

2.  Charlie Christian:  The Definitive Collection

Hal Leonard.  Charlie Christian:  The Definitive Collection.  Transcriptions by Pete Billmann, Jeff Jacobson, & Wolf Marshall.  Published 2003 by Hal Leonard.  128 pp. book.  $19.95

Another collection of CC transcriptions has been produced in this album, which offers a contrast in style to Marshall’s album reviewed above.  There is no annotation or analysis in this publication, but several titles provide what may be termed ‘continuous’ transcriptions:  every bar of the performance is notated (though not for every instrument) and thus gives a version of the performance that is, in a sense, complete.  For instance, on “Gone with ‘What’ Wind” we find the clarinet solo, piano solo, guitar solo, vibes solo, second clarinet solo, first riff section, second riff section, and third clarinet solo, (all notated for guitar).  It is useful to have such ‘complete’ transcriptions, not least because often the sextet arrangements were often quite complex.   As in the Marshall album, the graphic design and presentation of this publication are of very good quality.

It would have been helpful if the editors had made it easier to see where sections (solos, riffs, theme, etc.) in the transcription begin and end (Marshall is much clearer in this respect).  It is sometimes quite difficult to follow the sequence of sections, particularly when the number of staves changes during the notation (this happens quite often).

Fifteen titles are included in this album, and of these, the first ten that appear in Marshall’s book are reproduced (at least the notation of the CC solos) here.  The same version of “Solo Flight” is transcribed in both albums, but with different notations (presumably the transcription in The Definitive Collecion is by Pete Billmann or Jeff Jacobson). The remaining four titles from Marshall (“Benny’s Bugle,” “I Found a New Baby,” “A Smo-o-o-oth One,” and “Air Mail Special”) are omitted from The Definitive Collection, but in compensation, four additional titles are included—“Flying Home,” “Rose Room,” “Stompin’ at the Savoy,” and “Topsy (Swing to Bop).”  It is puzzling, given the generally ‘completist’ approach of the album, that only three of the six guitar solo choruses on “Stompin’ at the Savoy” are transcribed.  The notation of this title seems to be in a different font than those transcribed by Marshall, so perhaps the transcriber is one of the co-authors.

In its own right this album is an excellent collection of transcriptions that would be of interest to all who appreciate the music of Charlie Christian.  It is a pity that two-thirds of the notations are direct reproductions of items that have been published elsewhere.  Music publishers, whether audio or printed music, often republish material in different formats.  In this case, perhaps untypically, Hal Leonard has added interesting new material to the republished solos, by way of ensembles, solos on other instruments, and other material (at least one extra item in each of the ten).

Sometimes the references to issued recordings are a little misleading.  “Air Mail Special (Good Enough to Keep)” on p. 2 refers to the album Benny Goodman Sextet 1939/1941, but the version of this title transcribed is clearly from the complete performance (on take -1), as issued on Masters of Jazz MJCD 75 or Columbia Legacy box set C4K 65564.

To sum up, The Definitive Collection is a well-produced collection of transcriptions whose only drawback is the recycled notations—but the added non-guitar solo material offsets this factor.  Again, I would recommend this publication to anyone wishing to study the music of CC.   —Clive Downs

For reference I have added a comparative analysis of the 15 transcriptions in each volume in the Table below.

Table:  Comparison of transcribed sections in Marshall (2002) & Hal Leonard (2003).
( Titles are in the order in which they appear in Marshall )

Details of the exact versions of each notated solo,
and albums on which the recordings are issued,
can be found in the Bibliography of Notated Solos on this website.

Reviewed by CLIVE DOWNS

CHARLIE AND THE DEUCE

A HISTORY OF CHARLES HENRY CHRISTIAN

Edited by Anita G. Arnold
Black Liberated Arts Center, Inc.;  1994;  40 pages

Ever since the Charlie Christian Jazz Festival was inaugurated in 1984, it had been held during the latter part of April or the first week of May.  This year [1995] the 12th annual Charlie Christian Jazz Festival will be held on July 29th, Charles’ 79th birthday anniversary, on the 300th block of N.E. 2nd Street in Oklahoma City.  That block of “Deep Deuce” was the center of activity during the time that Charles was developing and working in OKC. Ruby’s Grill, where CC did much of his jamming, was located in a two-story building that still stands right in the middle of the block. Charles’ going-away party was held at Ruby’s Grill on Aug. 13, 1939, before he left OKC the following day for his audition with Benny Goodman in Los Angeles.  It was also the site of a welcome-home jam on Jan. 11, 1940 during a two-week vacation that CC took from the sextet.   The Charlie Christian Jazz Festival is organized by Black Liberated Arts Center (BLAC), Inc., 201 Channing Square, Suite 317, OKC 73102, (405) 232-2522.

For last year’s [1994] festival, BLAC Inc. published an excellent 48-page, 8x11-inch souvenir book entitled Charlie and the Deuce with lots of photos and info on CC and OKC. It contains a couple of pages, gleaned from the “CHRONOLOGY” chapter of my unpublished book, of Charles’ early history, events with the Goodman band et al, and after.  Available from Charlie’s Old Books and Records, 5114 N. Classen, Oklahoma City, OK 73118, (405) 843-6902.

This year [1995] BLAC Inc. will be putting together a Charlie Christian photo album (with many from my own collection of 60-some CC photos) for distribution at the festival.

This book review was originally published in the 1995 Solo Flight: The Charlie Christian Newsletter # 1
© LeoValdes
Revised and updated on November 23, 2001

THE

CHARLIE CHRISTIAN

Edited by Anita G. Arnold
Black Liberated Arts Center, Inc.;  1995;  40 pages

All photos by Leo Valdes

On the 79th anniversary of Charlie Christian’s birth (July 29, 1995), Oklahoma City held its twelfth annual Charlie Christian Jazz Festival.

The most notable event of this year’s festival was the publication and distribution of the photo album mentioned in the review above.  I had expected some of my photos to be published along with others, but I was shocked to see that the entire album was put together from my collection.  About 70% of my stuff was in there along with my short captions for each picture—verbatim except for a small typo on one with Charles sitting in with Count Basie and his band at the Apollo.

There are also three CC articles in the book: “The Advent of Charlie Christian” by noted producer John Hammond; “Guitarmen, Wake Up and Pluck!” by Charlie Christian;  and “The Charlie Christian Story” by the preeminent writer, Ralph Ellison.   Previously published in Down Beat, August 25, 1966, Down Beat, December 1, 1939, and The Saturday Review, May 17, 1958, respectively, they are required reading.

This book review was originally published in the 1996 Solo Flight: The Charlie Christian Newsletter # 2
© LeoValdes
Revised and updated on November 23, 2001

LEGENDARY TIMES

Edited by Anita G. Arnold
Black Liberated Arts Center, Inc.;  1995;  50 pages

Another publication put out by BLAC Inc for last year’s jazz festival was Legendary Times and Tales of Second Street. “This book represents reflections of memorable times, experiences, people and places associated with historical Second Street in Oklahoma City.”  Well worth getting;  also available from Charlie Nicholson’s.

This soft-cover contains three more photographs from my collection.   One has Charlie Christian sitting at a table with Count Basie, Ernie Fields, Melvin Moore, and Jimmy Rushing.  Another is the [December 1939] photo used in the JazzTimes [September 1995] article on the front page of this newsletter [CC at the Waldorf-Astoria posing with an ES-150].  The third was taken in 1923 of Charles and his first-grade class at Douglas School, Oklahoma City (originally published with Ralph Ellison’s The Saturday Review story—Ellison’s younger brother, Herbert, was in the same class as Charles).

This book review was originally published in the 1996 Solo Flight: The Charlie Christian Newsletter # 2
© LeoValdes
Revised and updated on November 23, 2001

ANNUAL REVIEW OF

1993

Edited by
Edward Berger, David Cayer, Dan Morgenstern, Lewis Porter
Scarecrow Press
for the
Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers–The State University of New Jersey
1993;  304 pp;  $39.50

The sixth volume of the Annual Review of Jazz Studies was published in hardcover format and contains two significant articles on Charlie Christian.  One presents a detailed bibliography of his transcribed solos, the other examines his after-hours recorded sessions in Harlem (Minton’s) and Minneapolis (Harlem Breakfast Club).

There’s also a one-page review by Lewis Porter of Charlie Christian:  The Art of Jazz Guitar, a 32-page softcover book of transcriptions edited by Dan Fox.  This book contains twelve “fairly accurate” CC solo transcriptions from his studio recordings with Goodman.  It was originally published in 1964 and reprinted in 1988.

Clive Downs’ excellent treatise, “An Annotated Bibliography of Notated Charlie Christian Solos,” documents all publications containing transcribed solos of CC’s recordings.  Extensive research was done in locating almost fifty different publications that contain CC transcriptions—it includes all (even those that are out-of-print) that I know of and many that I had not been aware of previously.  I was very impressed by the quality and comprehensive detail of his work.

The major transcription collections listed by Clive Downs are by Stan Ayeroff, Hank Edmonds & Bob Prince, Dan Fox, Howard Spring, and Masayuki Takayanagi.  There’s also a collection of 16 transcriptions for a 1982 thesis at Duquesne University by Mark Antonich but these are derived from previously published sources and can be disregarded.  Even Antonich’s narrative appears to be lifted verbatim from various books and articles.   Freelance Music also has a set of 23 transcriptions but they are poorly photocopied and many are identical to the Dan Fox assemblage.

The best work by far, however, was done under the supervision of Masayuki Takayanagi.   Their dozen transcriptions are excellent—the most accurate I’ve seen.   Some appear to be duplicates of my own work which, of course, they couldn’t have copied.  The chord names are very exact as well.  There’s even a complete score of “Honeysuckle Rose” by the full band.   I only wish I could read Japanese so I could enjoy the narrative in the first part of the book.

[Clive Downs' bibliography can now be found updated in the Bibliography section on this site]