Really glad to have seen this podcast, huge fan of Charlie Christian- he was the true Godfather of electric guitar. He got the single note electric solos started, although Django's single note solos too were groundbreaking (as was his use of finger vibrato). Thank you very much for your post, going to delve into your teaching files!
Hey all right, you came up in my feed because I listen to Swing to Bop so much. You got chops man, glad to have found you. Yeah that solo is the best guitar solo I've ever heard, thanks for agreeing!
I appreciate that you remember Charlie Christian. They have a Charlie Christian Festival Every year on his birthday at his birthplace Bonham, TX ir at least they use to about 10 years ago.
Great video! Charley Christian is one of those names in guitar lore that I come across frequently but didn’t know anything about. I think I saw a transcription of his solo on Stompin At The Savoy from the 1930s a long time ago in a guitar magazine, but I didn’t know enough to appreciate what I was looking at. Now my interest is piqued to check him out a lot more closely. Looking forward to watching more content from your channel.
Great history of Charlie Christian and the emergence of the electric guitar. I was practically drooling over that guitar you are playing. I play a Tele, but I remember Joe Pass stating that he disliked solid body electric guitars, as they have no sound without being plugged in. Charlie and Joe and two of my favorite guitarists.
Hello Jordan… I consider myself to be a "hummer & strummer" and not a musician. I can't even read music but I have been an admirer of your musical talent for many years. I once had the pleasure of playing at the Wheel Club and being backed by yourself and Stephen Barry. I can only tell you that I will never forget that experience. I felt like a surfer and you and Stephen were the wave. You guys carried me along with such energy that I was continually elevated throughout the whole set. All that being said, I am very excited to see this new series that you are posting. I will never be a musician but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy your talent. For people who aspire to be a musician I can't think of a better source of inspiration.
Very cool. I can't believe you learned how to play that. I've been trying to figure out that lick for years with no success. He was such an inventive guitarist.
Yes I totally agree with your words had so much feel and that raw but very technical style was the jimi Hendrix of the day reminds me of the gypsy jazz style to blues mixed in .Amazing
So out of the blue and revolutionary, a massive influence on everything that came after, died so young, I think it's definitely an appropriate comparison!!!
I close my eyes and listen to Swing to Bop and can imagine the enormous effect he would have had. He'd kind of bait you into thinking he'd stalled out his solos somewhat, there is a lot of intentional holding back and staccato notes, and just when you are thinking he's starting to ease off, he hits the bridge and burns through those eight note clusters. When I listened to him as a teenager, I didn't like it that much. There were flashier guitarists since. But now I really like it, and his place in history, that it was so original.
Great, I am thrilled to hear such a talented player as you, mention Swing to Bop that way. I listened to it years ago by accident at a friend’s place, and, although I did not know anything about jazz or guitars, I had never heard anything so exciting and it changed my life. It remains, as you said one of best ever solos. Only Wes or Django have emulated such greatness. Thanks.
Thanks Jordan. Your work with Suzie really stood out for me. Many years ago. I would love a video on where you got your Gibson. I had a 1949 ES-150 but it had a P90 in that year. I have a 53 ES-175 now as I wanted the cut away.
OK, man, you were just showing off. I do love your choice of the appropriate axe. I, too, have a 30s CC & understand that just feeling the guitar makes me wants to play just like you do. It aint working so far. I enjoyed this post & subscribed. Thanks.
Man great stuff! This channel will be so much help thank you. Hard to find good stuff on Charlie where people explain what he’s thinking. It’s hard to get in his head cause he’s so fast moving and expressive
Like Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt also has that driving line and seems to concoct fuly fomred advanced melodies out of thin air.Django's later electric stuff actually has that same sort of tone that Charlie had, biting but warm.
Holy CRAPP!!! Just found your channel. Your playing is amazing. I would love a few videos about your comping you displayed here. Thanks for the uplink.
When I first heard "Swing To Bop I realised what Alvin Lee had been listening to so that he could play like "that" on Ten Years After's "Undead" (live at Klooks Kleek).
Overall, for me, your absolute love and respect for the genre shines through. I also came to Jazz through blues. My teacher was Mr Louis Gallo who, sadly, is no longer with us. BTW, your playing is wonderful.
Hello Jordan, which chord progression were you soloing over when you demonstrated that short chord solo? I'm currently learning it as I want to start improvising in this chordal style.
I would be interested to know what Charlie's previous musical education was. Was he trained or did he just figure it out with a little help from some horn players? For such a young player without obvious mentors, he was unique.
Thanks a lot! The suggestions posted here already are cool. The Godin 5th ave is cool too. I would also check out cool vintage archtops that are not too expensive. Everything's gone up in price in recent years, but I'm sure you could still find something fun under 1k
well.. thank you, but one thing that you passed over was that in the format of the big band he, with his "newly invented gtr." was not constrained by the volume of all those horn players... "Chonk Charlie Chonk"
I love Charlie Christian but you are giving him too much credit, at least as far as creating a new vocabulary in jazz. Yes, he was very innovative in the guitar world (he pioneered a guitar world) but his vocabulary was Benny Goodman's and, more importantly, Lester Young's. Charlie Christian proved that guitar could become a be bop instrument by translating the reed's idiom of the time into guitar. And even just that is no small feat!
This is completely false info. You are a hater. CC totally had his own style and sound. His music is timeless still to this day people can not get that sound.
To say that Charlie Christian merely translated the vocabulary of Goodman and other horn players of the era is buffoonery. You sound like a person who doesn’t play the guitar himself, and got this bogus information from some horn-centric academic or music critic who is a less than adequate listener. Christian employs a vocabulary all his own, one that is unique in that it is native to the instrument and demonstrates lines that are uniquely possible because of the way notes are laid out on the fretboard of the guitar. Furthermore, Christian was at the vanguard of chord substitution ideas, doing things in his lines that are stock in trade today, but stunned horn players of 1939 and pointed the way to the bebop harmony and language that was to come a few years after his death. Yes, Christian observed many of the musical conventions of his time, the repetition of single notes at the beginning or end of his phrases for example, or the long lines of triplets he frequently used that were common at the time, but in so many important ways he was a pure original. Posthumously, decades posthumously, Goodman said as much, calling him a “musical genius” in a 1970’s interview. Your unfortunate comment here is made all the more tragic by its arrogance. Few things worse than a know-it-all who is just wrong.
Really glad to have seen this podcast, huge fan of Charlie Christian- he was the true Godfather of electric guitar. He got the single note electric solos started, although Django's single note solos too were groundbreaking (as was his use of finger vibrato). Thank you very much for your post, going to delve into your teaching files!
Finally someone citing Bob Wills on a CC video. Thanks, man.
Hey all right, you came up in my feed because I listen to Swing to Bop so much. You got chops man, glad to have found you. Yeah that solo is the best guitar solo I've ever heard, thanks for agreeing!
I appreciate that you remember Charlie Christian. They have a Charlie Christian Festival Every year on his birthday at his birthplace Bonham, TX ir at least they use to about 10 years ago.
That's very cool.
Thanks for the post, Charlie Christian’s art just fascinates!
Amazing
Great video! Charley Christian is one of those names in guitar lore that I come across frequently but didn’t know anything about. I think I saw a transcription of his solo on Stompin At The Savoy from the 1930s a long time ago in a guitar magazine, but I didn’t know enough to appreciate what I was looking at. Now my interest is piqued to check him out a lot more closely. Looking forward to watching more content from your channel.
Really cool.. Thanks for taking to time to go onto this. Great observations. Please do more.
Great history of Charlie Christian and the emergence of the electric guitar. I was practically drooling over that guitar you are playing. I play a Tele, but I remember Joe Pass stating that he disliked solid body electric guitars, as they have no sound without being plugged in. Charlie and Joe and two of my favorite guitarists.
Yaman. That's the guitar Charlie played too (he later switched to a fancier model ES-250). Thanks for your comment!
You are bringing tears to my eyes. Everything that you are saying is true.
Thank you for letting me know, that is beautiful.
Just killer… love this approachable style of jazz guitar, and Jordan crushes it both on tone and feel
Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying the clips and the music!
I love the lick that you are sharing. I have one of his albums on vinyl. I need to listen to more CC.
God bless and be with you and thanks for sharing amazing guitar lesson...
Thank you, and all the best to you
Thanks so much. Revelation
Charlie a unique talent and he rocks❤
Hello Jordan… I consider myself to be a "hummer & strummer" and not a musician. I can't even read music but I have been an admirer of your musical talent for many years. I once had the pleasure of playing at the Wheel Club and being backed by yourself and Stephen Barry. I can only tell you that I will never forget that experience. I felt like a surfer and you and Stephen were the wave. You guys carried me along with such energy that I was continually elevated throughout the whole set.
All that being said, I am very excited to see this new series that you are posting. I will never be a musician but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy your talent. For people who aspire to be a musician I can't think of a better source of inspiration.
Thanks a lot, it's great to hear from you!
Very cool. I can't believe you learned how to play that. I've been trying to figure out that lick for years with no success. He was such an inventive guitarist.
Yes I totally agree with your words had so much feel and that raw but very technical style was the jimi Hendrix of the day reminds me of the gypsy jazz style to blues mixed in .Amazing
So out of the blue and revolutionary, a massive influence on everything that came after, died so young, I think it's definitely an appropriate comparison!!!
Great video man, much appreciated:)
I close my eyes and listen to Swing to Bop and can imagine the enormous effect he would have had. He'd kind of bait you into thinking he'd stalled out his solos somewhat, there is a lot of intentional holding back and staccato notes, and just when you are thinking he's starting to ease off, he hits the bridge and burns through those eight note clusters. When I listened to him as a teenager, I didn't like it that much. There were flashier guitarists since. But now I really like it, and his place in history, that it was so original.
Great news!!!!! Can’t wait🤩. Thank you so much Jordan 🙏
Cool, my pleasure! Keep in touch.
Although I don't play guitar since a long time, I loved the fact that it can help me to understand music theory some more. Thanks Jordan !
That's great to hear Dan. All the best!
Good work, thank you!
Great, I am thrilled to hear such a talented player as you, mention Swing to Bop that way. I listened to it years ago by accident at a friend’s place, and, although I did not know anything about jazz or guitars, I had never heard anything so exciting and it changed my life. It remains, as you said one of best ever solos. Only Wes or Django have emulated such greatness. Thanks.
Yes it's incredible. Very lucky that we have those live recordings!!!
Thanks Jordan. Your work with Suzie really stood out for me.
Many years ago. I would love a video on where you got your Gibson.
I had a 1949 ES-150 but it had a P90 in that year.
I have a 53 ES-175 now as I wanted the cut away.
Your course is very helpful as a filmmaker. Perfect music for the comedy genre.
Thanks Alex!
OK, man, you were just showing off. I do love your choice of the appropriate axe. I, too, have a 30s CC & understand that just feeling the guitar makes me wants to play just like you do. It aint working so far. I enjoyed this post & subscribed. Thanks.
Man great stuff! This channel will be so much help thank you. Hard to find good stuff on Charlie where people explain what he’s thinking. It’s hard to get in his head cause he’s so fast moving and expressive
Indeed. I love trying to get myself in there. I always learn so much.
So excited to hear this series!!! Subscribed!!!
Cool!
People like you make me wonder why I even pick a guitar up LOL !! will like and subscribe.
Haha! Thanks for the comment, and happy picking! :-)
Like Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt also has that driving line and seems to concoct fuly fomred advanced melodies out of thin air.Django's later electric stuff actually has that same sort of tone that Charlie had, biting but warm.
Holy CRAPP!!! Just found your channel. Your playing is amazing. I would love a few videos about your comping you displayed here. Thanks for the uplink.
Thanks for the comment, and suggestion. That would be cool, and I'll try to do that at some point! All the best.
When I first heard "Swing To Bop I realised what Alvin Lee had been listening to so that he could play like "that" on Ten Years After's "Undead" (live at Klooks Kleek).
Gracias
Overall, for me, your absolute love and respect for the genre shines through. I also came to Jazz through blues. My teacher was Mr Louis Gallo who, sadly, is no longer with us. BTW, your playing is wonderful.
Thank you for letting me know. All the best!
great
Love Charlie Christian
Amazing.
Important enough to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Hello Jordan, which chord progression were you soloing over when you demonstrated that short chord solo? I'm currently learning it as I want to start improvising in this chordal style.
ok nice thank you!!
I know your video is about cc, but that earlier big band stuff is really nice. Do you have videos on that? How to do an chord-solo in that style?
Charlie Christian is where you start if you want to learn Jazz. I did the same.
It worked great for me, endless learning from CC
Do you have a video or videos playing the rest of that bridge?
what track did he play on that gave Chuck Berry the inspiration for the opening lick of Johnnie B Goode?
I would be interested to know what Charlie's previous musical education was. Was he trained or did he just figure it out with a little help from some horn players? For such a young player without obvious mentors, he was unique.
Man, I play a bit of guitar, this is great! I want more... I want ot by a semi-acoustic ''jazzy'' electric, what would be a good ''budget'' axe?
Check Eastman guitar awsome quality/price ratio ….
Ibanez, I had two guitars of their Artcore series and you can find some used ones at a very good price.
Thanks a lot! The suggestions posted here already are cool. The Godin 5th ave is cool too. I would also check out cool vintage archtops that are not too expensive. Everything's gone up in price in recent years, but I'm sure you could still find something fun under 1k
well.. thank you, but one thing that you passed over was that in the format of the big band he, with his "newly invented gtr." was not constrained by the volume of all those horn players... "Chonk Charlie Chonk"
Talker
I love Charlie Christian but you are giving him too much credit, at least as far as creating a new vocabulary in jazz. Yes, he was very innovative in the guitar world (he pioneered a guitar world) but his vocabulary was Benny Goodman's and, more importantly, Lester Young's. Charlie Christian proved that guitar could become a be bop instrument by translating the reed's idiom of the time into guitar. And even just that is no small feat!
This is completely false info. You are a hater. CC totally had his own style and sound. His music is timeless still to this day people can not get that sound.
He didn't say he created new vocabulary. He said he created a new voice to use the vocabulary. Which is exactly what he did.
To say that Charlie Christian merely translated the vocabulary of Goodman and other horn players of the era is buffoonery. You sound like a person who doesn’t play the guitar himself, and got this bogus information from some horn-centric academic or music critic who is a less than adequate listener. Christian employs a vocabulary all his own, one that is unique in that it is native to the instrument and demonstrates lines that are uniquely possible because of the way notes are laid out on the fretboard of the guitar. Furthermore, Christian was at the vanguard of chord substitution ideas, doing things in his lines that are stock in trade today, but stunned horn players of 1939 and pointed the way to the bebop harmony and language that was to come a few years after his death. Yes, Christian observed many of the musical conventions of his time, the repetition of single notes at the beginning or end of his phrases for example, or the long lines of triplets he frequently used that were common at the time, but in so many important ways he was a pure original. Posthumously, decades posthumously, Goodman said as much, calling him a “musical genius” in a 1970’s interview. Your unfortunate comment here is made all the more tragic by its arrogance. Few things worse than a know-it-all who is just wrong.
“Hater” 😂
Dude, we know who CC is. You don't need to waste MORE THAN HALF THE VIDEO gobbing off.
Just play.
I didn't. All I'd ever heard of was the pickup they refer to as a "charlie christian pickup"
6:30 min of blah blah and 1 min noodling 😒