DB Hall of Fame

SOLO  FLIGHT

THE  CHARLIE  CHRISTIAN  LEGACY

DB Hall of Fame


 

 

POOR BUTTERFLY
 
mx  WCO 26719 A
 
APRIL  3,  1940  *     Wednesday HOLLYWOOD
World Broadcasting System
[ for COLUMBIA Records ]   *
 

 
  32  BARS    (ABAC) Key of   A Quarter Note =   118 Time:   2:46
 
 
  2 ˝  CHORUSES:
 
    32  bars  –  clarinet (Melody) [ABAC]
 
    16  bars  –  vibes [AB]
    16  bars  –  piano [AC]
 
    8  bars  –  CC [A]
      8  bars  –  clarinet (Melody) [C]
 
 

 
Personnel:
 
  Benny Goodman Sextet
  CHARLIE CHRISTIAN Guitar
  BENNY GOODMAN clarinet
  LIONEL HAMPTON vibes
  JOHNNY GUARNIERI piano
  ARTIE BERNSTEIN bass
  NICK FATOOL drums
 
 

 
  * Matrix assigned on  APRIL 10, 1940
  Recorded by the World Broadcasting System, Inc. (Hollywood)
  for the Columbia Recording Corp. (NYC)
 

Composed by: Raymond Hubbell  (lyrics by John L. Golden)
 
©   VALDÉS   3/02/01


 

Transcription Page:     Poor Butterfly   –  3 April 1940  (studio take)

 



C&A:

The clarinet plays the melody on the first chorus;  the second chorus (32 bars just before the guitar solo) is split evenly between vibes and piano;  after the eight-bar guitar solo, the clarinet melody closes out the take in eight measures.

Except for the modified melody line on the pickup bar, this studio Poor Butterfly 8-bar solo is fairly standard Charlie Christian. An excellent solo…until you compare it to the stunning one on the live version three weeks later in the month.  There’s a few blue notes tossed in—unexpectedly in the second measure (bent ♭9).  The F9 figure on the last bar is the same (with identical notes) as the one that ends his On the Alamo 8-bar solo over an E♭Maj nine months earlier.  In fact, his solo here, although in a different key and taken at a quicker tempo, reminds me of the way he constructed his solo on Alamo.

 



 
Issued Recordings:
 
  [ 78 ] Columbia 35466 (b/w The Sheik of Araby  as The Sheik)
    Columbia 36722 (b/w Grand Slam)
    Columbia C-102 (side 5)
 
  [ EP ] Columbia RLS 799  (SEGC.11) (side F, track 2)
 
  [ LP ] Avan-Guard VSLP 213 (side B, track 4)
    BLU-DISC T-1011 (side A, track 3)
    CBS 52538 (side B, track 4)
    CBS / Sony 56AP 674~6 (side C, track 2)
    CBS / Sony SOPZ4~6 (side C, track 2)
 
  [ CD ] Acrobat ACTRCD 9103 (disc 3, track 1)
    Black Bird Black Bird (track 8)
    CBS 465679 2 (track 9)
    Classics 1098 (track 25)
    Columbia/Legacy AC4K 65564 (disc 1, track 14)
    Columbia/Legacy C4K 65564 (disc 1, track 14)
    Columbia CK 45144 (track 9)
    Definitive DRCD11176 (disc 2, track 10)
    Edel 0193692ERE (track 12)
    Giants of Jazz 53049 (track 20)
    Going for a Song GFS561 (track 11)
    History 20.1960-HI (set 9, disc 1, track 9)
    History 20.1979-HI (disc 1, track 9)
    Japan Jazz Club EGR 2001 (track 9)
    Masters of Jazz MJCD 40 (track 12)
    Masters of Jazz MJCD 9004 (disc 3, track 12)
    Membran 222777 [see Album Index]
    Membran 222800 [see Album Index]
    Membran 232094 [see Album Index]
    Membran 232568 [see Album Index]
    Membran 233423 [see Album Index]
    Proper P1489 (track 16)
    Proper PROPERBOX 98 (disc 1, track 16)
    Sony/Legacy 93035 (disc 1, track 14)
    Universe UV 129/2 (disc 1, track 12)
 
 

 



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