DB Hall of Fame

SOLO  FLIGHT

THE  CHARLIE  CHRISTIAN  LEGACY

DB Hall of Fame


 

 

BREAKFAST FEUD
 
mx  CO 29259-1
 
DECEMBER  19,  1940     Thursday Columbia Studios,  NYC
 

 
  12-BAR  BLUES Key of   B♭ Quarter Note =   210 Time:   3:07
 
 
  4-Bar Intro  +  13  CHORUSES  +  4-Bar Tag:
 
      4  bars  –  piano (Intro)
 
    24  bars  –  trumpet w/ CC & ensemble (Theme)
 
    24  bars  –  trumpet (over CC & ens riffs)
 
    24  bars  –  clarinet
 
    24  bars  –  piano (over ens riffs)
 
    4  bars  –  CC & ensemble (Refrain)
    8  bars  –  CC
  12  bars  –  CC
 
      4  bars  –  CC & ensemble (Refrain)
      8  bars  –  tenor sax
    12  bars  –  tenor sax
 
    12  bars  –  trumpet w/ CC & ensemble (Theme)
 
    4  bars  –  CC & ensemble (improvised Coda)
 

 
Personnel:
 
  Benny Goodman and his Sextet
  CHARLIE CHRISTIAN Guitar
  GEORGIE AULD tenor sax
  BENNY GOODMAN clarinet
  COOTIE WILLIAMS trumpet
  KEN KERSEY piano
  ARTIE BERNSTEIN bass
  HARRY JAEGER drums
 
 

Composed by: Charlie Christian - Cootie Williams
 
© VALDÉS   3/17/2019


 

Transcription Page:     Breakfast Feud        fifth take     19 Dec 1940     CO 29259-1

 



C&A:

Breakfast Feud was recorded for the first time on 19 December 1940 – none of the five full takes were released.  It would be recorded again four more times on the next Columbia recording session less than four weeks later at which time a master was selected and subsequently released in April 1941.

Notably, the talented pianist Kenny Kersey was recruited for this December session with the sextet – easily an equal to Basie or Guarnieri.  He would be heard from again the following year at Minton’s.

    first take   CO 29259-5   LISTEN   Guitar Solos / Coda


On this one take, the ensemble plays the four-bar refrain before each of Charlie Christian’s solo choruses splitting the solo into two eight-bar sections.
The first guitar solo starts a full measure before the end of the ensemble’s four-bar refrain with a wild start on this first run-through.  Solid solos with one other unique passage on this take:  on mm 9-11 Charles plays a familiar sequence which this time he takes all the way to the depths – across all six strings.


    breakdown   CO 29259-x   LISTEN   theme / riffs


The clarinetist began playing the melody immediately following the first take – the group joined in and continued on through to the end of first trumpet solo when the leader either came in a chorus too early or he used some clarinet screeches to signal an abrupt end to the take.


    second take   CO 29259-4   LISTEN   Guitar Solo / Coda


The ensemble is now playing the four-bar refrain before Charles’ first chorus only;  this continues beneficially for the rest of the takes – the guitar solo is now 20 contiguous measures long instead of two separate eight-bar solos separated by the refrain on the initial take.
Unique start on the guitar solo on the first three bars.  Charlie Christian may have been anticipating the ensemble refrain on the start of his second chorus.  In any case, he doesn’t really start on the second chorus until the middle of the second measure when he goes on a tear with a very nice, long run(s) for the rest of the chorus.


    third take   CO 29259-3   LISTEN   Guitar Solo / Coda


This guitar solo also has an early pick-up (mid-fourth bar) and another marvelous unconventional start (mm 4-6).  There’s a rather odd phrase terminus at bar five of the second chorus.  A fine solo.


    breakdown   CO 29259-y   LISTEN   intro / theme / gtr improv


Following the piano intro, a raggedy start collapses altogether at around ten bars.


    false start   CO 29259-z    [ intro only – no audio clip ]


This false start only just gets through the piano intro.


    fourth take   CO 29259-2   LISTEN   Guitar Solo / Coda


Charles digs much deeper into the blues here than on the previous takes.  Flawless fast blues solo – may be the best version of this set.  There’s a cool tuplet at bar 5 of the second chorus that he would again use in the same place on the next take.


    fifth take   CO 29259-1         ☊   LISTEN   Guitar Solo / Coda


The first bar of Charles’ solo begins with that same wonderful phrase that he had used to start his solo with the orchestra on Honeysuckle Rose at another studio date over a year earlier.  And in the same manner, he builds up a mini crescendo in less than a measure – a lovely effect.  Another excellent solo.



The subsequent studio recordings of this tune will have no piano intro, a tidier theme, a different pianist, and a much better drummer.



 
Issued Recordings: ( 3:07 )
 
  [ LP ] Blu-Disc T-1004 (side B, track 1)
    CBS 159.028/29 (side C, track 5)
    CBS 2BP 220094 (side C, track 5)
    CBS 67233 (side C, track 5)
    CBS / Sony 56AP 674~6 (side E, track 1)
    CBS / Sony SOPZ4~6 (side E, track 1)
    Columbia CG 30779 (side C, track 5)
    Columbia G 30779 (side C, track 5)
 
  [ CD ] BD Jazz JZBD022 (disc 1, track 17)
    Classics 1154 (track 13)
    Columbia/Legacy AC4K 65564 (disc 3, track 1)
    Columbia/Legacy C4K 65564 (disc 3, track 1)
    Definitive DRCD11176 (disc 3, track 5)
    Frémeaux FA 218 (disc 2, track 3)
    Jazz Unlimited JUCD 2013 (track 9)
    Le Chant du Monde 274 1357.58 (disc 2, track 7)
    Le Chant du Monde 274 1459.60 (disc 2, track 8)
    Masters of Jazz MJCD 67 (track 16)
    Masters of Jazz R2CD 8004 (disc 2, track 4)
    Primo / Proper PRMCD 6092 (disc 1, track 20)
    Proper P1490 (track 10)
    Proper PROPERBOX 98 (disc 2, track 10)
    Sony/Legacy 93035 (disc 3, track 1)
 
  Spliced & Incomplete: ( 0:27 )
  All spliced & incomplete issues contain only the 2 CC solo choruses from this take spliced with other takes.
(refer to The Spliced Recordings page, 1st spliced composite except Smithsonian releases as noted below)
 
  [ EP ] Columbia B-504 (side B, track 2b)
 
  [ 10 ] Philips P 07.931 R (side B, track 4b)
 
  [ LP ] Avan-Guard VSLP 213 (side B, track 7b)
    CBS 52538 (side B, track 7b)
    CBS 62.387 (side A, track 5b)
    CBS / Sony 20AP 1456 (side A, track 5b)
    CBS / Sony 56AP 674~6 (side E, track 6b)
    CBS / Sony SOPM 155 (side A, track 5b)
    CBS / Sony SOPZ4~6 (side E, track 6b)
    Columbia CL 652 (side A, track 5b)
    Coronet / CBS KLP 510 (side A, track 5b)
    Philips BBL 7172 (side A, track 5b)
    Smithsonian / CBS P6 11891 (side F, track 3a)          4th spliced composite
 
  [ CD ] CBS / Sony 25DP 5301 (track 5b)
    Smithsonian / CBS RD 033 (disc 2, track 24e)        5th spliced composite
 

 



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