Customer Reviews

Genius of Charlie Christian [VHS]

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Having heard the name "Charlie Christian" uttered so reverently and so frequently in jazz circles I was curious to learn more about him and to hear him play. With that in mind I bought this video. Unfortunately it turns out that this is not a performance video. It's a half hour (in black and white) of reminiscences of Christian's friends and acquaintances and some of the guitarists he's influenced. Although I did learn alot about his background, there isn't a single visual example of his playing. There are fragments of his recordings here and there, but the video is essentially just a verbal documentary. Apparently the motivation for its creation was to raise funds for a tombstone for the pioneering guitarist's unmarked grave. There's a note at the end indicating that a public showing of the film did indeed raise the money to carry out that purpose, so I suppose that in that respect the film is a success. Having passed away so early in his career I guess it's probable that little (if any) film footage of Charlie Christian playing exists today. Therefore I would advise interested parties to turn to his recordings for samples of his revolutionary technique. Unfortunately in this video you'll hear quite a bit about it but won't get to see any of it.

Recently bought this DVD, excited to catch any available glimpse of jazz guitar innovator Charlie Christian in action. Watched the whole thing, and I'm still waiting. If this "movie" is any indicator, there must not be any film footage of him in existence. This video is a mere 31 minutes long, and consists of a whole slew of known and unknown people who knew or admired Charlie, each putting in their two cents' worth (if that). In short, all talk and NO ACTION. This video might as well have been a book. The closest we get to "The Genius of Charlie Christian" are four audio tracks selectable from the bonus material---c'mon, any audio CD beats that! While some of the interviewees are interesting, jazz guitar veteran Herb Ellis for example, others are nearly incoherent and some are clearly reciting their "lines" from a script! So, don't waste your money folks. If anybody knows of a video with any real live footage of C.C. playing, please post info here!

Having seen this documentary on VHS ten years ago I was interested in revisiting it on DVD. SOLO FILGHT is a short (almost 30 minutes) but rewarding bio of Charlie Christian, a Texas born jazz guitarist. Christian is credited with being an early pioneer in single string lead guitar, using amplification and talent to bring the instrument to the forefront during the big band era, most notably with Benny Goodman.

Writer, producer and director Gary Rhodes has assemble a collection of interviews with family, friends and musicians who played with or were influenced by Charlie. He chronicles Christian's budding career in Texas and Oklahoma through photographs, local newspaper articles and interviews. The progression of his career from local joints to his all to brief time with Goodman's Sextet also offers a somewhat painful reminder of segregated society of pre-WWII America.

Christian's death from tuberculosis at age 26 in 1942 robbed the world of a great talent, much like the untimely deaths of Janis Joplin, Patsy Cline, Jimi Hendrix and other major influences on our musical heritage.

For those interested in the life of groundbreakers who are not going to receive the big budget approach ala Ken Burns or Martin Scorsese this is a very acceptable program. There are four bonus music tracks on the DVD to give a taste of Christian's flavor. If motion picture footage existed of Charlie it would be icing on the cake, but none has yet to be found.

This is the one. I saw this on PBS back in the early 1990s at a time when no books had been written on Charlie Christian. At that time, it was believed he was born in 1919 and was buried in Dallas, Texas. This 30-minute film went to Christian's roots and uncovered key points in his biography, like the fact he was born in 1916 and was buried in an unmarked grave in Bonham, Texas. Christian spent most of his short life in Oklahoma (and, in the first few years, Texas), so interviews include people who knew him in Bonham and Oklahoma City, including his common-law wife. There are also interviews with regional musicians who knew him then, like Jay McShann. Interviews talking about Christian's short period of glory with Benny Goodman include Lionel Hampton. Overall, SOLO FLIGHT is a kind a moody black-and-white piece driven more by a story of who this fellow was than an in-depth exploration of his music... but if you like jazz stories (or electric guitar history), this is great stuff. Incidentally, fter its original PBS screenings, this film raised enough money to place an historical marker on Christian's unmarked grave.

My papa Benny is impossible to shop for. We bought him a DVD player but he never used it. Until I bought him the documentary Solo Flight. He watched it immediately. He's a smart guy and doesn't like his time wasted. I really scored big with this one. Great gift.

Solo Flight is a great gift for anyone who loves Jazz and appreciates the ground breaking sound of guitarist Charlie Christian. I'm particularly impressed with filmmaker Gary D. Rhodes. Charlie Christian was a fading blip in history until Solo Flight's release. What provoked thought with me was - how did Gary find - any pictures or testimonials for this project? From the start, his passion and desire becomes obvious at how important it is to tell this story and immortalize this genius. Solo Flight makes me think about all of Charlie's colleague's, whose stories will never be told. Time is against them. If this film was shot today, there wouldn't be enough info out there for a 5 minute short. An important film for future generations.

When he began playing melodic, single-string solos on an amplified guitar, Charlie Christian caused a guitar revolution, elevating the instrument from its traditional background position to center stage. In Solo Flight we gather precious recollections from the musicians and the communities that witnessed Christian's prodigious beginnings. We then follow the evolution of his career to his legendary tenure with the Benny Goodman Sextet, and on to the late-night sessions at Minton's in Harlem with Dizzy, Kenny Clarke, Thelonious Monk and Charlie "Bird" Parker.

#1353 (31 min, B& W, Hi-Fi)