Sheik of Araby 3 Apr 40

THE SHEIK OF ARABY

mx WCO 26718 B

APRIL 3, 1940 *

Wednesday

HOLLYWOOD

World Broadcasting System

[ for COLUMBIA Records ]

32 BARS (AAA'B)

Key of

Quarter Note =

212

Time:

3:24

4-Bar Intro + 5 CHORUSES:

4 bars – drums

(Intro)

16 bars – CC & ensemble

(Verse in Bbm)

32 bars – clarinet

(Melody)

32 bars – vibes

32 bars – CC

32 bars – piano

4 bars – CC

4 bars – clarinet

4 bars – vibes

4 bars – piano

4 bars – CC

12 bars – clarinet

Personnel:

Issued Recordings:

Benny Goodman Sextet

[CD]

Columbia/Legacy

AC4K 65564

(disc 1, track 23)

CHARLIE CHRISTIAN.....Guitar

Columbia/Legacy

C4K 65564

(disc 1, track 23)

BENNY GOODMAN.........clarinet

LIONEL HAMPTON.........vibes

JOHNNY GUARNIERI......piano

ARTIE BERNSTEIN..........bass

NICK FATOOL..................drums

Matrix assigned on APRIL 10, 1940.

Recorded by the World Broadcasting System, Inc. (Hollywood)

for the Columbia Recording Corp. (NYC)

Composed by:

Ted Snyder - Harry B. Smith - Francis Wheeler

Š VALDÉS

9/15/06

C&A:

This alternate take of The Sheik of Araby, which contains another very good Charlie Christian solo as does the master, was not issued until 2002 with the release of the four-CD deluxe box set incorporating Charles’ Columbia studio recordings. On bars 3 & 4, he continues his Bb lines over the F7—the 4th bar has the same quarter-note triplets as on the 16th bar of the master take. Tricky syncopation at bar 5. Anticipates the Bb by more than two beats on bar 6.

The staircase sequence on mm 17-18 was also used by Charles over the Gm7, here a Bb6 is used over the Bb harmony. A Bbdim7 line beginning on the last up-beat of bar 18 leads into the F7. Low-pedal Fs start on the last up-beat of bar 19 with octave leaps on the next bar. Anticipates the D7 by more than two beats beginning with a long slide in bar 22. Familiar figures alternating on the down- and up-beats start at bar 24 and continue through bar 25 on to the next. A Bb blues line starts on bar 29 with a b3 (Db) over the F7. Solo ends with a big 6th drop on the last bar.

On the out chorus, a descending Bbdim7 breaks through on the first two bars of Charles’ first “fours” line. The staircase sequence again appears on the first measure and a half of his second “fours” line.