C&A:

Fletcher Henderson had been on the earlier version of Shivers which had been broadcast on the Camel Caravan show.  He was now solely the arranger for the band and had been replaced by pianist Johnny Guarnieri who had joined ten days prior to this, his first studio recording with the sextet.

Fortunately, Charlie Christian completes his solo on this take of Shivers before the breakdown that brings it to an abrupt halt after just 16 more measures.  Charles begins the solo with one of his most basic tonic phrases on the first four bars;  gets bluesy in the next four starting with quarter-note triplets;  adds a pinch of Seven Come Eleven on mm 9-10, another CC composition that had first been recorded just one month earlier;  and brings in a unique sequence at mm 12-14 before the bridge.

The minor-mode bridge is consigned to the clarinetist before Charles regains center stage almost a whole measure early with a grand one-of-a-kind entry.  Could be this intrusion on the leader’s spot is why this take was aborted – or was it the dearth of enthusiasm within the ensemble, even after the relatively inspired last eight bars in the guitarist’s solo.  Actually, it may have started coming undone during the vibes solo.

Don’t count this guitar solo out as run-of-the-mill – it’s not.  Take a good look at this transcription (at this time, the only one of this take) and you’ll find some more of the CC genius unveiled.