Funny quote from John Hammond on Charlie Christian

Mike Neer · From: NJ

I was perusing the March '82 Guitar Player issue Special Tribute to Charlie Christian, when I came across the piece where Hammond, Columbia records exec and talent scout, describes first hearing about CC:

"When I first heard about Charlie Christian through Mary Lou Williams, there were two jazz guitarists playing electrics. One was Leonard Ware in New York...He was very good, but he was not in Charlie's class. Charlie was an original; there's never been anybody like Charlie on the guitar. He was a completely revolutionary. The other jazz guitar player was Floyd Smith, but he played a Hawaiian guitar. Hawaiian is bad enough, but amplified it was excruciating!"

Imagine what may have happened had he liked the Hawaiian guitar...the course of music may have been dramatically different for the steel guitar. He launched and furthered the careers of many a superstar.
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links

Charles Davidson · From: Phenix City Alabama, USA

Charlie was one of the greats. When he was in his teens he wanted to play tenor horn and you can hear those horn lines in his playing,Shame he died at the early age of 25. YOU BETCHA,DYK?BC.
_________________
Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC !

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

The Charlie Christian of the non-pedal steel guitar was Joaquin Murphey.

Interesting sidebar: Murph played for years with guitarist Johnny Weis, who was primarily into Christian. Murph wanted him to play more like George Barnes. What I've heard from the most excellent Barnes is that he was much more Les Paul-influenced than Christian, who sounded to me like he really wanted to play saxophone.
_________________
My rig: Infinity and Telonics.

Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg?

Michael Lee Allen · From: Portage Park / Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois

REMOVED
_________________
"Wisdom does not always come with age. Many times age arrives alone."

Michael Lee Allen · From: Portage Park / Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois

REMOVED
_________________
"Wisdom does not always come with age. Many times age arrives alone."

Alvin Blaine · From: Picture Rocks, Arizona, USA

The area that Charlie Christian grew up playing in, and the players he grew up around, he was actually one of the last to start playing electric.

Noel Boggs was in a band with Charlie and his brother, Edward Christian, back in the mid '30s. They were all three staff musicians on WKY radio, along with Eldon Shamblin. Junior Barnard was playing electric guitar on KVOO at the time, and so was Leon McAuliffe. This was all around '35 & '36 and Christian didn't get his first electric till '37.

Another interesting little fact about WKY around that time, '36-'37, is that they would broadcast the "University Of Oklahoma" football games and the announcer/commentator was a young Walter Cronkite.
_________________
http://www.oldbluesound.com/about.htm
http://www.facebook.com/cowboytwang

Michael Lee Allen · From: Portage Park / Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois

REMOVED
_________________
"Wisdom does not always come with age. Many times age arrives alone."

Mike Neer · From: NJ

Michael, thanks for the info on Floyd. I'm sure the story as told by Hammond took on more mythical details as time went on. Basically, he said that BG didn't like Charlie the first time he heard him. But, yeah, anyone who's read about Goodman knows what kind of guy he was.

This piece about Goodman would probably break the hearts of diehard fans, but I have no doubt as to the truthfulness of it. Written by a former bandmember, Bill Crow, it is well worth the read (it is a long article).

To Russia Without Love
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

Mike
I downloaded the Bill Crow essay three years ago when the band I was with was having trouble with our "artist/boss," printed it out and bound it. I wanted the guys to know what working for a REAL asshole was like! It made the rounds of the bus, for sure.

I think the article's called "From Russia WITHOUT Love."

Take heed from Mike Neer's suggestion. It's a great read and completely entertaining. And you wouldn't believe some of the petty, egotistical, arrogant sh*t Benny Goodman pulled!!
_________________
My rig: Infinity and Telonics.

Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg?

Mike Neer · From: NJ

Thanks, Herb, you're right, it is without love.

That article paints a portrait of a man who makes my skin crawl. I remember printing it out once and it came to something like 50 pages; it was so enthralling, though, that I read it in no time, and twice.
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

Mike thanks so much for posting this.
_________________
Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952.

Jussi Huhtakangas · From: Helsinki, Finland

Thanks for posting it Mike: I've heard about it but never got around to find it. Probably kinda goes to the same category as the infamous Buddy Rich bus tapes Razz

CrowBear Schmitt · From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France

quoted from Hammond's "On Record" autobiography :

" one of the early sessions i supervised was the Milfred Bailey date w: her Oxford Greys.
As i mentioned earlier, this all black band included Mary Lou Williams, the pianist for Andy Kirk's Clouds of Joy.
Andy was playing the Apollo about that time with - to my horror - an electric guitar player who used a metal bar to produce what has come to be called the Hawaiian guitar sound.
After hearing him, i asked Mary Lou :
" how can you stand that horrible guitar ? "
Mary Mary Lou shrugged. " If you really want to hear an electric guitar played like an acoustic guitar " she said " You gotta go to the Ritz café in Oklahoma city, where Charlie Christian works"
i boarded a single engine plane to OKC w: intermediate stops at Wichita & 8 other scenic stations along the way.
When we finally landed there was one of those old pregnant Buicks w: 6 negroes inside to meet me.
i was driven down to the Humboldt hotel where i was told, Charlie Christian's mom worked as a maid, so i met her first
At the Ritz i met Charlie Christian, a tall young man, thin, dark, & wearing a purple shirt & yellow shoes. i listened to him knew immediately, he was great. he was unique.
To begin w:, he phrased like a horn, which no other guitar did in those days& he had been influenced by Texans like Ben Webster & Herschel Evans.
He was endlessly inventive
i knew immediately, for instance, that Charlie Christian belonged in the Goodman small group.
i called Benny in California : " I"ve just heard the greatest guitar player since Eddie Lang "
" Who the hell wants an electric guitar player ?! " Benny interrupted
" You won't believe him until you hear him - there's enough to fly him to California so you can hear him "
In the middle of the first afternoon session Charlie Christian walked in wearing a large hat, his purple shirt & yellow shoes, lugging an amplifier & his guitar case.
Benny took one look, his eyes steely behind those glasses, & went back to business at hand.
the band was exceptionnaly good at that time
Both Fletcher H, Lionel H & Buff Estes were in tow
The moment the session ended Benny prepared to leave, paying no furhter attention to Charlie.
"Won't you at least listen ? " i begged him " He's come all the way from Oklahoma to play for you "
He paused, glanced at Charlie & agreed " Okay " he said " chord me "Tea for Two' "
Charlie never even had a chance to plug in his amplifier. Benny, of course, was not impressed & the audition ended.
i told Charlie to meet me in the kitchen of the Victor Hugo at 8:30, the time Goodman was to conclude his first set.
i then called a dozen musicians. " Benny does'nt know it - be at the bar at 8:30"
While Benny was having diner, Artie & i carried Charlie's amplifier into the restaurant & set it up on the bandstand.
The Goodman quintet at the time included Fletch on piano,, Lionel on vibraphone, Nick Fatool on drums, Artie Bernstein & Benny.
When the time came for them to play, Charlie Christian, still wearing his only costume, appeared through the kitchen door.
Goodman watched Charlie approach the bandstand, looked around the room until he spotted me, & zapped me w: the famous Goodman " Ray "
For candlepower i think this one has never been surpassed.
But before the opening night audience there was nothing he could do but go along at least for one tune. Benny chose " Rose room "
I am reasonably certain Christian had never heard " Rose room " before, because it was a west coast song not in the repertoire of most black bands.
No matter . Charlie had ears like antennae.
All he had to do was hear the melody & chord structure once & he was ready to play 25 choruses, each more inventive than the last.
Which is what happened.
Benny would play a chorus or 2, Lionel would answer him, & their talent would inspire Charlie to greater improvisations of his own.
Before long the crowd was screaming in amazement.
" Rose room " continued for more than 3/4 of an hour & Goodman received an ovation unlike anyother he had had before.
No one present will ever forget it, least of all Benny

CrowBear Schmitt · From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France

Herb, or any of you for that matter, any info on Johnny Weis is welcome
i'm always on the look out for info or pics on him here on the fo'
(not a whole lot either)
i imagine a few here know his son, Danny Weis ?

www.myspace.com/dannyweis

Mike Neer · From: NJ

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

Speaking of John H. Hammond II, it's all the more ironic is that his son, John P. Hammond the blues performer, focuses mainly on blues played on an old National Steel Guitar with a slide, but also sometimes using an electric guitar. I recall an article where John the blues player wondered aloud why his uncle Benny didn't give notice of his playing or career. One can only wonder how his father felt about it, knowing that he hated the sound created by using a metal bar to produce the "Hawaiian guitar sound." Or how about the slide guitar of his last big 'discovery', Stevie Ray Vaughan - e.g., http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sio7uB_ECcw - maybe if he heard this, he would have run away screaming (which, from many past discussions, I gather many on this forum would be happy about.)

Hey, the plain fact is that a lot of people don't like the supposedly 'whiney' sound of slide or steel guitar. I'll never get it, but I know it's true. Hell, there are people on this forum that don't like banjo. Nuff said. Smile

I read that article about Goodman a long time ago - the Buddy Rich and Paul Anka tapes also. To me, these are just examples of the fact that great (and not so great) musical talent comes in all shapes and temperaments.

Michael, thanks for the inside scoop on Floyd Smith - always underrated but always cool. Sounds like he lived the life he chose, we should all be so lucky.

All times are GMT - 8 Hours	Jump to: