AMG Review of Immortal Charlie Christian [Columbia]

Michael G. Nastos
All Music Guide

Aside from the name being misspelled on front and back cover, guitarist Charlie (not Charley) Christian was at the forefront of the bebop revolution. These ten tracks show why, and also gives rise to the notion of Christian being the first to wield an amplified electric guitar. The CD has a nice range of bop classics, three written by co-conspirator Dizzy Gillespie, two originals of Christian's, a lone standard, and a tribute to Jack Kerouac. This collection represents not only a smidgen of what Christian did before his career was tragically cut short, but opens a window into his grand contributions to jazz. Though only an appetizer and a bit flawed, it is tasty.