C&A:

This take of Solo Flight was the one that was released on 78-rpm in December 1943 rising all the way to # 1 on Billboard’s “Harlem Hit Parade” in March 1944, two years after Charlie Christian’s death.  A second take of Charles’ guitar concerto was recorded at this studio session but not released until April 1955, on LP.

If you want to hear Charles run changes, this composition is the best one to listen to—mostly one chord change per measure, sometimes two per measure.  None of the other tunes he recorded change chords that often.  It’s also an excellent vehicle for learning CC’s technique—for the beginner or for the more experienced guitarist wanting to learn how he played his solos.  A perfect example of Charlie Christian in swing mode—the advanced harmony is there but the blues are suppressed and the more complex bop rhythms are not present.  And it’s all in the easy key of C except for one section that modulates to F (designated the “B” section) and back to C (designated the “A” section).

Section I
The phrase at mm 1 sounds awkward to me but from there on it’s smooth sailing.  The last note in bar 7 is the #5 of the G7 giving the three-bar phrase added interest.  The half-note at bar 11 is a surprise—one expects a C (5th) but instead Charles plays a D (6th) over the F chord.  The octaves on the G7 at bar 13 appear twice in each of the two studio takes and once in each of the two Solo Flight live recordings—he used it on other occasions but it is especially convenient on this tune because the open G-string can be used.

Section II
On the “pickup” before measure 1, CC plays what may be his favorite double-stop:  ♭3/6 (E♭/A) of the CMaj.  The Dm7/G7 at mm 3-4 contains a common sequence but Charles spaces out the first notes with quarter rests rather than connected quarter notes, then he inserts an Fm run between the G7 and the following C chord.  I really like the melodic ending to the section from mm10 thru 14—he sets it up with clever changes at bar 10 and, at bar 11, there’s a substantial anticipation of the Dm.

Section III
Different variations on the usual phrases, beautifully and logically put together.  However, I don’t remember CC ever using the sequence at mm 13-14 before.

Section IV  (in F)
The first four measures are “written out”—he uses this on all four of the Solo Flight recordings.  Also, the next four bars appear virtually unchanged on three of the four recordings.  His favorite double-stops again at bar 6, this time on the FMaj:  A♭/D.  The same finger pattern is used for the three chord changes on mm 8-10 but each with a different contour.  Measures 14-15:  repeated Fs (tonic) on alternating strings.

Section V
Excellent 6-measure, 6-chord run from mm 3 to 8 before he lays out for the “bridge” (mm 9-12).  The arrangement calls for Charles to play on the “bridge” of the first four sections and rest on his last two.  The octaves again in bar 13 (they don’t always show up at bar 13 on the other versions).

Section VI  (in F)
Goodman takes his clarinet solo here—the less said, the better.  But wouldn’t it have been something if Lester Young had taken the clarinet solo on this section.

Section VII
Charles again plays a 6-measure, 6-chord run at mm 3-8 which, except for the first bar, is virtually identical to the one he played on section V but with a different lilt (at bar 3 is a figure that was expanded on mm 7-8 in section V of the second take).  He closes out his solo with the same notes played simultaneously on adjoining strings then goes to alternating the same note on the strings.

If memory serves, I read an early review or two where critics said that they didn’t feel that Solo Flight was all that great because the band and Charlie Christian were sometimes at odds (or something to that effect).  But what did the critics know back then—these are fantastically wonderful recordings.  Charles worked beautifully within Jimmy Mundy’s band arrangement.  He contributed significantly (probably totally to the basic framework) to the composition and may also have had a hand in the arranging.

Wes Montgomery (during an interview):  “I never saw him in my life, but he said so much on records.  I don’t care what instrument a cat played, if he didn’t understand and feel the things that Charlie Christian was doing, he was a pretty poor musician.  Solo Flight—boy that was too much!  I still hear it.  He was it for me.  I didn’t hear anybody else after that for about a year.”

And a quote from Chuck Berry:  “Solo Flight!  It’s so great, man—it’s a son of a bitch!  I got the first 16 bars down, took me 30 years!”