Happy Birthday to Charlie Christian!

Born on this day in 1916, guitarist Charlie Christian.

Unlike other jazz guitarists, Christian was not content to remain a member of the band’s rhythm section. He developed a revolutionary technique that allowed him to play melodic solos as engaging as those typically performed by the featured horn players of his day.

He played a Gibson ES-150, considered the first ‘legitimate’ electric guitar. He was the first to play improvised music using amplified equipment. He first gained notoriety when he started playing with Benny Goodman.

“His inventions, his harmonic structure — quite miraculous. Oh, gosh … he had everything!” – Benny Goodman

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