DB Hall of Fame

SOLO  FLIGHT

THE  CHARLIE  CHRISTIAN  LEGACY

DB Hall of Fame


 

 

A SMO-O-O-OTH ONE
 
mx  CO 29942-1
 
MARCH  13,  1941     Thursday Columbia Studios,  NYC
 

 
  32-BARS   (AABA) Key of   F Quarter Note =   124 Time:   3:18
 
 
  4-Bar Intro  +  3  CHORUSES  +  2-Bar Tag:
 
   4 bars  –  CC   (over drums) (Intro)  
 
  16 bars  –  CC & ensemble (Theme)
     8 bars  –  trumpet
   8 bars  –  CC & ensemble (Theme)
 
  16 bars  –  tenor sax (over CC & ens riffs)
     8 bars  –  clarinet
   8 bars  –  tenor sax (over CC & ens riffs)
 
  16 bars  –  CC & ensemble (Theme Riffs)
   8 bars  –  CC
   8 bars  –  CC & ensemble (Theme Riffs)
 
   2 bars  –  CC & ensemble (Coda)
 
 

 
Personnel:
 
  Benny Goodman and his Sextet
  CHARLIE CHRISTIAN Guitar
  GEORGIE AULD tenor sax
  BENNY GOODMAN clarinet
  COOTIE WILLIAMS trumpet
  JOHNNY GUARNIERI piano
  ARTIE BERNSTEIN bass
  DAVE TOUGH drums
 
 

Composed by: Charlie Christian
 
© VALDÉS   3/13/19


 

A Smo-o-o-oth One  —  13 March 1941  —  CO 29942-1   alternate take

        Intro, Solo, Riffs

 



C&A:

A Smo-o-o-oth One had made its first appearance on a portion of Charlie Christian’s repertory during the early hours of the session that took place while waitin’ for Benny and Artie to arrive prior to this scheduled 13 March 1941 Columbia recording date.  It was now decided to tone up the soupçon and record it as the first tune of the session along with a previously-composed, temporarily-named piece – another CC composition.  Seems that Goodman was not only late but also unprepared this one time.

Charles selected an unusual dyad for his introduction for A Smo-o-o-oth One – a very dissonant minor-2nd – perfectly suited for the ensemble’s theme.  The trumpet took the bridge on that first chorus.  The clarinet takes the next bridge which is set within a tenor sax solo chorus backed by CC riffs (also heard at the start of the second chorus of Charles’ jam solo).

The third and final chorus goes back to the theme, inappreciably altered.  This bridge is where Charles undertakes his only solo on the arrangement – eight ‘written’ bars.  The solo was improvised but then it was essentially repeated on all three takes.  A masterpiece actually;  it couldn’t have been more suitable.

A two-bar coda is added:  on the first take it’s guitar with ensemble, then the other two takes with Charles pretty much by himself.

CO 29942-X   initial take   LISTEN   first take
     
CO 29942-1   alternate take   LISTEN   second take
     
CO 29942-2   master take   LISTEN   master take


Charles uses lots of ghost or almost-ghost notes on these short solos.  This is also the perfect tempo for shifting the location of the notes on or off the beat.
A Smo-o-o-oth One was Charlie Christian's adaptation of Leo Robin - Lewis E. Gensler’s 1934 song Love Is Just Around the Corner, with a slightly modified bridge.



 
Issued Recordings:
 
  [ LP ] Blu-Disc T-1004 (side B, track 2)
 
  [ CD ] Black Bird Black Bird (track 12)
    CBS 465679 2 (Track 18)
    CBS 467151 2 (track 4)
    Columbia/Legacy AC4K 65564 (disc 3, track 22)
    Columbia/Legacy C4K 65564 (disc 3, track 22)
    Columbia CK 45144 (track 18)
    Columbia COL 467151 2 (track 4)
    Disky DO 25031 2 (track 5)
    Japan Jazz Club EGR 2001 (track 18)
    Jasmine JASCD 515 (disc 1, track 10)
    Masters of Jazz MJCD 74 (track 11)
    Membran 232094 [see Album Index]
    Membran 232568 [see Album Index]
    Music Memoria 39332 2 (track 20)
    Sony/Legacy 93035 (disc 3, track 22)
    Universe / Comet UV 129/2 (disc 2, track 11)
 
 

 



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