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(1916-1942)
Charlie Christian only lived to be 26, but he left an outstanding legacy -- the modern jazz guitar. Texas-born and Oklahoma-raised, Christian was playing both guitar and stand-up bass professionally by the time he was 15. John Hammond convinced Benny Goodman to recruit Christian for his sextet in 1939, resulting in the recordings that first proved the viability of the electric guitar for soloing in jazz. Christian also was a progenitor of bebop, taking part in the famed Harlem jam sessions at Minton’s that also featured Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie and Kenny Clarke. The Charlie Christian guitar sound, heavily informed by jazz horns, profoundly influenced Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell and virtually every jazz guitarist to follow.
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