DB Hall of Fame

SOLO  FLIGHT

THE  CHARLIE  CHRISTIAN  LEGACY

DB Hall of Fame


 

 

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

 
  12-BAR  BLUES Key of   B♭ Quarter Note =   210 Time:   0:06
 
 
  5-Bar  False Start:
 
      4  bars  –  piano (Intro)
 
      1  bar  –  ensemble (Theme)     < false start >
 
 
      Goodman:  “Aw, come on now, boys…”

 

 
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


 

No Transcription Page:     Breakfast Feud        false start     19 Dec 1940     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.



 
Issued Recordings:
 
  [ CD ] Columbia/Legacy AC4K 65564 (disc 4, track 18)
    Columbia/Legacy C4K 65564 (disc 4, track 18)
    Sony/Legacy 93035 (disc 4, track 18)
 

 



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