Transcription Page:     Flying Home  —  10 February 1941

C&A:

The band begins a three month radio stint for another cigarette sponsor on this 10 February 1941.  It was broadcast every Monday on WJZ until 5 May 1941.  On this particular show the sextet is joined by special guest Red Norvo on xylophone.

Charlie Christian has the intro to himself on this version of Flying Home.  Another unusual feature for this version is the addition of the full orchestra on the last chorus.  Most importantly, though, is the presence of the drummer par excellence Dave Tough who had just rejoined the band the previous month and was on his first recorded appearance with the sextet.  Upon his return (Tough had previously been with the band pre-CC), he immediately gave the sextet an tremendous rhythmic boost which was evidently much appreciated by Charles.

This was the first recording available on this tune by the sextet in a little over a year and it’s taken at a more relaxed pace – slowest version of all.  Charlie Christian begins his solo not as he does on most other versions but in a manner vaguely reminiscent of his solo on the master studio take and goes on with a very swingin’ solo which he intensifies with triplets on the F7 of the bridge, another unique feature of this edition of Flying Home.

Before Charles gets to the bridge, he sets it up perfectly on the previous five bars with two discriminative runs (mm 12-16).  Two B♮s (♯5 of the E♭7) are perfect links to the following A♭Maj sequence.  Then come those exquisite triplets.  The B♭7 phrase consummately caps off the wonderfully composed bridge solo before he riffs into the final A-section of his chorus.

There are no CC riffs on the final chorus as the band takes the A-sections – Charles can be heard on that bridge with a few chord accents including some Shivers-mode, lower-note bends.
 
This is the only tablature published for this specific rendition of Flying Home – no doubt any forthcoming tabs will show the four beats evenly traversing mm 17-18 to be only on frets 6 & 8.