Breakfast Feud CO 29259-z

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.