SEPTEMBER 2, 1939
Saturday |
CAMEL CARAVAN |
MICHIGAN STATE FAIR, DETROIT |
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32 BARS (ABAC) |
Key of |
|
D♭ |
Quarter Note = |
|
88 |
Time: |
|
2:07 |
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Goodman:
“You've all heard Star Dust played by the trio, the quartet, and the band. The other night while the new group in the band, the sextet, were jamming,
Charlie Christian, our new guitar player, fell out in a chorus of Star Dust that no one ever heard before—nearly broke up the session. So, tonight
we thought you'd like to hear this: the sextet playing Star Dust.” |
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10 bars vibes |
(Melody) |
[ behind spoken intro ] |
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6 bars clarinet |
(Melody) |
(over vib) |
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♪ |
32 bars CC |
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[ add clt & vib on last 8 bars ] |
Composed by: |
Hoagy Carmichael
(lyrics by Mitchell Parish) |
Transcription
Star Dust 2 September 1939 Camel Caravan
Guitar Solo
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C&A:
This was barely the second recording of Charlie Christian’s career. Having
just been contracted by the band, he had recorded for the first time just two
weeks prior while at the Hollywood Bowl. Now he was in Detroit for the
Michigan State Fair where the sextet broadcast another “Camel Caravan” radio
show.
It is not known when Charles re-composed Hoagy Carmichael’s most famous
tune, Star Dust, but this was, as the spoken introduction
noted, its first appearance on record – already fully formed.
The one-chorus chord solo featured here would remain a staple for the sextet
and would be presented in this same way for every sextet rendition. Only the
details would deviate on certain passages, such as the unique measures 13-14
on this version.
Charles’ Star Dust chord solo was dedicated to his mother, Willie Mae, who
had requested that he play a song for her. He had replied that he could not
publicly dedicate a song to her but that whenever he played this solo it was
especially for her. A most appropriate inscription to his beloved mom.
Exceptions to this “norm” would occur only twice: later on in the month at a
jam session in Minneapolis where he would record two full choruses and a
year later at a Columbia recording session for an eight-bar solo with a
small band directed by Teddy Wilson.
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[ LP ] |
Jazum |
54 |
(side A, track 4) |
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[ CD ] |
Definitive |
DRCD11177 |
(disc 1, track 2) |
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Definitive |
DRCD11386 |
(track 1) |
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JSP Records |
JSP909 |
(disc 1, track 2) |
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Le Chant du Monde |
274 1459.60 |
(disc 1, track 1) |
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Masters of Jazz |
MJCD 24 |
(track 2) |
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Masters of Jazz |
MJCD 189 |
(track 1) |
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Masters of Jazz |
MJCD 9004 |
(disc 1, track 2) |
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Phontastic |
NCD 8845/8846 |
(disc 2, track 4) |
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