Listed below are sixteen unissued recordings of airchecks that are said
to exist on which Charlie Christian participated. Three of the tunes are known to
contain CC solos and are so annotated. Although most of the others seem extremely
promising, they may or may not have CC solos—your host hasn’t heard them nor has
anyone described them in detail.Seven tunes are on Bill
Savory’s treasured acetates (from 22 November 1939 through 19 April 1940—the 15
January 1940 broadcast is on two NBC 16-inch transcription discs). Most, if not all,
of these seven have CC solos.
Not included here are those recordings with CC known to be
exclusively on rhythm guitar.
SEPTEMBER 16, 1939
Saturday
“CAMEL CARAVAN” NBC Radio
Network (WEAF)
Shea’s Theater BUFFALO, NY
Benny Goodman Sextet:
CHARLIE CHRISTIAN, BENNY GOODMAN-clt, LIONEL HAMPTON-vib,
FLETCHER HENDERSON-p, ARTIE BERNSTEIN-b, NICK FATOOL-d.
Aircheck
OPUS LOCAL 802
SEPTEMBER 30, 1939
Saturday
“CAMEL CARAVAN” NBC Radio
Network (WEAF)
CHICAGO
Benny Goodman Sextet:
CHARLIE CHRISTIAN, BENNY GOODMAN-clt, LIONEL HAMPTON-vib,
FLETCHER HENDERSON-p, ARTIE BERNSTEIN-b, NICK FATOOL-d.
Aircheck
STAR DUST
NOVEMBER 22, 1939
Wednesday
WALDORF-ASTORIA HOTEL
NYC CBS Radio Network
Benny Goodman Sextet:
CHARLIE CHRISTIAN, BENNY GOODMAN-clt, LIONEL HAMPTON-vib,
FLETCHER HENDERSON-p, ARTIE BERNSTEIN-b, NICK FATOOL-d.
Aircheck
FLYING HOME
DECEMBER 4, 1939
Monday
WALDORF-ASTORIA HOTEL
NYC Radio Broadcast
Benny Goodman Sextet:
CHARLIE CHRISTIAN, BENNY GOODMAN-clt, LIONEL HAMPTON-vib,
FLETCHER HENDERSON-p, ARTIE BERNSTEIN-b, NICK FATOOL-d.
Aircheck
HONEYSUCKLE ROSE
DECEMBER 6, 1939
Wednesday
WALDORF-ASTORIA HOTEL
NYC Radio Broadcast
Benny Goodman Sextet:
CHARLIE CHRISTIAN, BENNY GOODMAN-clt, LIONEL HAMPTON-vib,
FLETCHER HENDERSON-p, ARTIE BERNSTEIN-b, NICK FATOOL-d.
Aircheck
SEVEN COME ELEVEN
(ROAST TURKEY
STOMP)
DECEMBER 9, 1939
Saturday
“CAMEL CARAVAN” NBC Radio
Network (WEAF)
Radio City Studios NYC
Benny Goodman Sextet:
CHARLIE CHRISTIAN, BENNY GOODMAN-clt, LIONEL HAMPTON-vib,
FLETCHER HENDERSON-p, ARTIE BERNSTEIN-b, NICK FATOOL-d.
Aircheck
PICK-A-RIB
DECEMBER 21, 1939
Thursday
WALDORF-ASTORIA HOTEL
NYC Radio Broadcast
Benny Goodman Sextet:
CHARLIE CHRISTIAN, BENNY GOODMAN-clt, LIONEL HAMPTON-vib,
JOHNNY GUARNIERI-p, ARTIE BERNSTEIN-b, NICK FATOOL-d.
Aircheck
HONEYSUCKLE ROSE
JANUARY 15, 1940
Monday
NBC Radio Network shortwave broadcast to Scandinavia
NBC Studios Rockefeller Center NYC
Benny Goodman Sextet:
CHARLIE CHRISTIAN, BENNY GOODMAN-clt, LIONEL HAMPTON-vib,
JOHNNY GUARNIERI-p, ARTIE BERNSTEIN-b, NICK FATOOL-d.
Aircheck
STAR DUST
Aircheck
FLYING HOME
APRIL 5, 1940 Friday
“THE COCOANUT GROVE”
AMBASSADOR HOTEL LOS ANGELES Radio
Broadcast
Benny Goodman Sextet:
CHARLIE CHRISTIAN, BENNY GOODMAN-clt, LIONEL HAMPTON-vib,
JOHNNY GUARNIERI-p, ARTIE BERNSTEIN-b, NICK FATOOL-d.
Aircheck
SOFT WINDS
APRIL 19, 1940 Friday
“THE COCOANUT GROVE”
AMBASSADOR HOTEL LOS ANGELES Radio
Broadcast
Benny Goodman Sextet:
CHARLIE CHRISTIAN, BENNY GOODMAN-clt, LIONEL HAMPTON-vib,
JOHNNY GUARNIERI-p, ARTIE BERNSTEIN-b, NICK FATOOL-d.
Aircheck
I SURRENDER, DEAR
DECEMBER 10, 1940
Tuesday
“WE THE PEOPLE” CBS Radio
Network NYC
Benny Goodman & his Sextet:
CHARLIE CHRISTIAN, GEORGIE AULD-ts, BENNY GOODMAN-clt, COOTIE
WILLIAMS-tpt,
COUNT BASIE-p, ARTIE BERNSTEIN-b, HARRY JAEGER-d.
Aircheck
FLYING HOME
* 32 + 16-bar
solo
This partial aircheck has never been
issued but is known to contain
a one-and-a-half-chorus solo by Charlie Christian.
DECEMBER 25, 1940
Tuesday
Radio Broadcast (location unknown)
Benny Goodman & his Sextet:
CHARLIE CHRISTIAN, GEORGIE AULD-ts, BENNY GOODMAN-clt, COOTIE
WILLIAMS-tpt,
BERNIE LEIGHTON-p, ARTIE BERNSTEIN-b, HARRY JAEGER-d.
Aircheck
WHOLLY CATS
FEBRUARY 19, 1941
Wednesday
“AMERICA IN SWINGTIME” 2nd
annual American Music Festival
Municipal Broadcasting System (WNYC) NYC
Benny Goodman & his Sextet:
CHARLIE CHRISTIAN, GEORGIE AULD-ts, BENNY GOODMAN-clt, COOTIE
WILLIAMS-tpt,
JOHNNY GUARNIERI-p, ARTIE BERNSTEIN-b, DAVE TOUGH-d.
Aircheck
THE BLUES
* 12 + 12-bar
solo
Aircheck
STOMPIN’ AT THE SAVOY
Theme behind M.C.
• 8 bars – “Sa-voy”
chords (w/ ens),
• 8 bars – chord
riffs (behind ens),
* 8-bar
solo (over ens),
• 8 bars – riffs
(over ens),
• 3 bars – obbl
(behind ens) [ sign-off
]
These two tunes from the broadcast have
never been issued in any format, however,
transcriptions of Charlie Christian’s solos can be found in the “Transcriptions” section on this site.
Two others from this date (Gone with
“What” Wind and The Sheik of Araby) were issued for the first time
on the Encore label in November 2001.
MAY 1, 1941 Thursday
“SHENANDOAH APPLE BLOSSOM
FESTIVAL”
ALEXANDRIA, VA Mutual Radio Network
Benny Goodman & his Sextet:
CHARLIE CHRISTIAN, GEORGIE AULD-ts, BENNY GOODMAN-clt, COOTIE
WILLIAMS-tpt,
JOHNNY GUARNIERI-p, ARTIE BERNSTEIN-b, DAVE TOUGH-d.
Aircheck
A SMO-O-O-OTH ONE
(MOPPIN’ IT
UP)
LeoValdes © December
2003 |
