First Page:          Guitar Solo

Second Page:    Riffs  &  False Start  (“Tune Up & Blues”)

C&A:

“Ad-Lib Blues” is a classic—incorporating one of Charlie Christian’s great blues solos and one by Lester Young comparable to CC’s.

After a three-month summer break in 1940, Benny Goodman was trying out different personnel to augment himself and Charles in a new combo.  At this rehearsal in the Columbia Studios, none other than Prez himself participated along with Count Basie and Buck Clayton, all of whom solo on this medium-tempo blues.  Freddie Green, Walter Page, and Jo Jones round out the nonpareil, all-star rhythm section.  BG prudently sat this one out.

CC starts the proceedings unaccompanied for the first four bars.  The rhythm section joins in for the last eight of the chorus, then drops out for the first four bars of the next chorus.  This time the tenor sax joins the rhythm section on the last eight bars with some riffs behind Charles.

CC’s entire solo is exquisite.  Very melodic, though bluesy, and perfectly structured with each phrase leading ideally, almost inevitably, into the next.  He lays way behind the beat on some of his upbeat notes, placing them just shy of falling on the downbeat.  The highlight of the solo comes at mm 15-17 where he drops from the high to the low frets in the middle of his C7 phrase.  After the climax, CC takes it out with some of his familiar blues licks.  The Blues!

Buck follows with a solo, then Prez, then Basie, each with two choruses—every solo chorus starts with a four-bar break except for the second piano chorus.  The next two choruses get some Young riffs, presently joined by CC.  The final chorus fades out after ten bars with Charles riffing by himself over the rhythm section.

☊   LISTEN   Guitar Solo / Riffs:

There’s also that false start that’s sometimes appended preceding Ad-Lib Blues on some releases and was labeled “Tune-Up & Blues” in Columbia’s guitar-amp box … Listen.