Charlie Christian (1916-1942) is considered to be the first real electric guitar soloist as well as an important figure in the development

of bebop. Born in Texas and raised on Oklahoma, Christian rose to prominence with the Benny Goodman Sextet in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Although he died of tuberculosis when he was only twenty-five, Charlie Christians influence permeates every style of electric guitar playing.

Billy Bauer (1915-2005) was an influential swing, bebop, and cool-school guitar player from New York City. He joined Woody Hermans big band in 1944 and began working with Lennie Tristano in 1946, playing on landmark cool school albums such as Lee Konitzs album Subconcious-Lee. Although he only recorded one album as a leader, Plectrist (1956), Bauer is remembered as a musicians musician whose restrained and sophisticated style has appeared on hundreds of albums.

Charlie Christian's Solo on "Grand Slam (Boy Meets Goy)"

with the Benny Goodman Sextet (1940)

Benny Goodman

&b &b &b

D min7

4 4

q = 195

b
3 3

b7

b #
C7

.
F6

r #

#
F6

G min7

13

n &b
r b b b b n b &b

# j

b7

F6

17

. J

21

b &b J J b &

D min7

G min7

C b J
7

F6

25

transcribed by Sam Hoffman

Charlie Christian on "Air Mail Special"

with the Benny Goodman Sextet (1941)

&c
r #

q = 210 7

Charlie Christian, Benny Goddman, & Jimmy Mundy

C maj

. . . J J
A min7 D min7 G7 A min7 D min7 G7

C maj7

b b #
A min7 D min7 G7
3

J &
C maj7

b # J J J
C maj7 A min7 D min7

G7

j &

C maj7

r #

A min7

j
D min7

D min7

r #

G7

G7

C maj7

13

r j # . &

C maj7 A min7

# J

C maj7

b b J #
A min7 D min7 G7
r

r #

A min7

D min7

r #

G7

17

&

C`

b
F`

b b b b
e`

b E`

b.
G7

21

b b b b b b b # b &
A
3

b G`

b E`

b7

b J J b . J

25

r . &J
C maj7

C maj7

A min7

. J
D min7

D min7

r #

. J

G7

C maj7

29

& J

A min7

b
G7 C maj7 A min7 D min7 G7
transcribed by Sam Hoffman

A min7

. J J

D min7

r #

G7

Charlie Christian on "Rose Room"

with the Benny Goodman Sextet (1939)

bbbb &
E min7

q = 135

b b b b n b j . & b & b bb b & bbbb

B D min7

B B min E A b n r . b n J
7

b7

b7

b6

Art Hickman and Harry Williams

b n J J
D

b7

b6

b7

b6

n b b

10

14

n b
b7
3 3

b7

n.

b w

18

b b b n n b b n r . J &b
B B min7 E A

. J J
B min7 E

n n n
F7
3 3

b7

b7

b6

22

&

bbbb

E min7

r b r

26

. b b J J J n n bbbb J n J &
D min7 G A F7

r b n b . J
A D

b7

b6

b7

b6

30

b & b bb .

B min7

b n j r n J
3

b7

b6

transcribed by Sam Hoffman

Billy Bauer on "Trombone Blues"

bb &
E
q = 170

b & b b
C min7

b7

4 4 #
B

b7

with the J.J. Johson/Kai Winding Quintet (1954)

J.J. Johnson

. j j b
B maj7

b b n
F7 B

!
D min7

b # n b # J &b b bb # b b & &b & b

7 bE

b7

F7

b b

G7

b7 b

# n b b b n
G7

13

17

b. b
F7

B maj7

D min7

21

bb

C min7

25

b &b

b7

# b b
B F7
3

b7

transcribed by Sam Hoffman

Billy Bauer on "Lullaby of the Leaves"

Billy Bauer Plectrist (1956)

Bernice Petkere and Joe Young

&

bbb

bbb & b &bb bbb &

D min7 ( 5)
b

C min7

4 4

q = 115

D min7 ( 5)
b

j # n n
G7 G min7

G7

C7

F min7

D min7 ( 5)
b

G min7

C min7

n
F min7

b7

! b.
G7

C min7

12

. b n
G7 C7
3 3

16

# bbb # J & b &bb

A A

D min7 ( 5)

G7

C min7

b7

20

24

b b b b b b n j j n # n & & bbb

C min.7

b7

lay back on beat

n n n n
C6 C6

n n. . b J
D min7 ( 5)

n G n

D min7 ( 5)

G .
7

28

J
G min7

C7

F min7

transcribed by Sam Hoffman

32

r bb n n n n # &b

D min

7 (b 5)

Lullaby of the Leaves

C min7

b7

G7

36

b &bb

C min7

Billy Bauer on "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To"

Billy Bauer Plectrist (1956)

Cole Porter

Electric Guitar

bb &
G min7

Up h = 125

D7

#
G min7

# .
b

bb & b ( ) b &b
F min7

A min7 ( 5)

B7 G min7

#
E maj7 A min7 ( 5)
b

G min7 ( 5) C 7

11

&

bb
E min7 ( 5)
b

A min7 ( 5)

D7

G min7

D7

15

b . &b J b &b & bb

G min7

A7

. J
b

# #
D7
7 7 (b 5)

b7

#
3

A min7 ( 5)
B7

19

F min7

23

27

b . &b J

b B`

D7
3

G min G min # E maj7

B maj7

b # n .
A min7 ( 5)

C7

#D . J
7

transcribed by Sam Hoffman

31

bb & & bb

Gbmin7
3

D b n # # n C7 F7 B maj7 A min7 ( 5)
7

G min7

35

A min7 ( 5)

#
D7

G min7

39

b & b . & bb

F min7

A min7 ( 5)

E maj B b # n
7

b7

G min7 (b5)

C7

43

D7

G min7

A min7 ( 5) D 7 j
#

n
7

G min7

47

b &b

E min7 ( 5)

7 bA
3

b D # #
A min7 ( 5)
b

b7

51

b &b
F min7

G min7

b n . J
G min7 B

D7

G min7 ( 5) C 7

55

b n b # b J J &b
E maj7

b7

59

b &b

b B`

b n n
3

B maj7

. J

A min7 ( 5)

# J
D7

63

bb & b &b

F b b J
7

B maj

A min

# D
7

7 (b 5)

G min7

67