DB Hall of Fame

SOLO  FLIGHT

THE  CHARLIE  CHRISTIAN  LEGACY

DB Hall of Fame


 

 

TILL TOM SPECIAL
 
mx  WCO 26494 A
 
FEBRUARY  7,  1940     Wednesday Columbia Studios,  NYC
 

 
  32  BARS    (AABA) Key of   Fm Quarter Note =   182 Time:   2:59
 
 
  4-Bar Intro  +  4  CHORUSES  +  4-Bar Tag:
 
      4  bars  –  piano & bass (Intro)
 
  16  bars  –  CC & ens (Theme)
      8  bars  –  clarinet
    8  bars  –  CC & ens (Theme)
 
  16  bars  –  vibes (over CC & clt “Topsy” riffs)
      8  bars  –  vibes
    8  bars  –  vibes (over CC & clt “Topsy” riffs)
 
  16  bars  –  CC
      8  bars  –  piano
    8  bars  –  CC
 
  16  bars  –  CC & ens (riffs)
      8  bars  –  clarinet
    8  bars  –  CC & ens (riffs)
 
    4  bars  –  CC & ens (Tag  –  “Topsy” riffs)
 
 

 
Personnel:
 
  Benny Goodman Sextet
  CHARLIE CHRISTIAN Guitar
  BENNY GOODMAN clarinet
  LIONEL HAMPTON vibes
  COUNT BASIE piano
  ARTIE BERNSTEIN bass
  NICK FATOOL drums
 
 
 

Composed by: Lionel Hampton
 
©   VALDÉS   2/25/18


 

First Page:          Theme

Second Page:    “Topsy” Riffs

Third Page:        Guitar Solo

Fourth Page:      Riffs & Tag

 



C&A:

Columbia scheduled a Goodman band recording session promptly following the 1940 Metronome All Stars session on the 7th of February.  Count Basie replaces Johnny Guarnieri on the two tunes allotted to the sextet:  Till Tom Special and the first of several renditions of Gone With “What” Wind.  Both tunes were released on 78-rpm Columbia 35404 the following month.

Charlie Christian gets solos on both tunes but, regarding Till Tom Special, if one recalls his solo on the version of a few short weeks earlier on New Year’s Eve, this second version is a bit of a disappointment.  Not that there’s anything amiss in the solo itself, it’s that the bridge of the chorus is taken by the pianist – it’s only eight bars but it’s the best part of the whole thing.  Charles was absolutely magnificent on the bridge of the only other version recorded of this tune.

There’s nothing wrong with Basie’s 8-bar bridge solo either, he’s always a great pleasure to hear, but it would have been much more preferable if he had taken the bridge from the vibes solo rather than that of the guitar.  Sigh…c’est la vie.  But wait…CC’s solo is excellent;  it’s an outstanding posting.  The sequence on mm 12-15, in particular, is a charming gem – followed immediately by a flawless baton-pass to the pianist.  And Basie’s comping behind Charles on the first half is superb;  after the bridge, Basie is more like riffing.



 
Issued Recordings:
 
  [ 78 ] Columbia 35404 (b/w Gone With "What" Wind)
    Columbia 37512 (b/w These Foolish Things)
 
  [ LP ] Musica Jazz 2MJP 1058 (side B, track 1)
 
  [ CD ] BD Jazz JZBD022 (disc 1, track 7)
    Best of Jazz 4032 (track 8)
    Classics 1098 (track 12)
    Columbia/Legacy AC4K 65564 (disc 1, track 10)
    Columbia/Legacy C4K 65564 (disc 1, track 10)
    Definitive DRCD11176 (disc 2, track 7)
    Edel 0193692ERE (track 10)
    Frémeaux FA 218 (disc 1, track 10)
    Jazz Archives / EPM 15908 2 (track 5)
    Le Chant du Monde 274 1357.58 (disc 2, track 1)
    Le Chant du Monde 274 1459.60 (disc 1, track 16)
    Masters of Jazz MJCD 40 (track 7)
    Masters of Jazz MJCD 9004 (disc 3, track 7)
    Membran 222777 [see Album Index]
    Membran 222800 [see Album Index]
    Membran 232094 [see Album Index]
    Membran 232568 [see Album Index]
    Membran 233423 [see Album Index]
    Primo / Proper PRMCD 6092 (disc 1, track 8)
    Proper P1489 (track 13)
    Proper PROPERBOX 98 (disc 1, track 13)
    Sony/Legacy 93035 (disc 1, track 10)
    Universe / Comet UV 129/2 (disc 1, track 9)
    Wagram Music 3247562 (disc 5, track 15)
 
 
  Incomplete:
  All incomplete issues are missing the 4-bar piano intro.
   
  [ EP ] Columbia B-504 (side A, track 2)
  Philips 429 729 BE (side 1, track 2)
 
  [ 10 ] Philips P 07.931 R (side A, track 2)
 
  [ LP ] Avan-Guard VSLP 213 (side A, track 4)
  CBS 159.028/29 (side A, track 6)
  CBS 177.057 (side A, track 3)
  CBS 2BP 220094 (side A, track 6)
  CBS 460612 1 (side A, track 3)
  CBS 52538 (side A, track 4)
  CBS 62.387 (side A, track 3)
  CBS 67233 (side A, track 6)
  CBS LSP 980 721-1 (side A, track 3)
  CBS / Sony 20AP 1456 (side A, track 3)
  CBS / Sony 56AP 674~6 (side B, track 3)
  CBS / Sony SOPM 155 (side A, track 3)
  CBS / Sony SOPZ4~6 (side B, track 3)
  Columbia CG 30779 (side A, track 6)
  Columbia CJ 40846 (side A, track 3)
  Columbia CL 652 (side A, track 3)
  Columbia G 30779 (side A, track 6)
  Coronet / CBS KLP 510 (side A, track 3)
  Giants of Jazz LPJT 13 (side A, track 5)
  Philips BBL 7172 (side A, track 3)
 
  [ CD ] Armando Curcio Editore DEJ-54 (track 3)
    Better Music / Del Prado JIT016 (track 2)
  Black Bird Black Bird (track 10)
  Catfish KATCD196 (track 2)
  CBS 460612 2 (track 3)
  CBS / Sony 25DP 5301 (track 3)
  Columbia 501646 2 (track 3)
  Columbia CK 40846 (track 3)
  Columbia CK 91494 (track 3)
  DeAgostini MJ 1032-1 (track 7)
  Definitive DRCD11288 (track 3)
    Ediciones Del Prado GJ016 (track 2)
    Ediciones Del Prado JB016 (track 2)
    Editions Atlas WIS CD 688 (track 5)
  Giants of Jazz 53049 (track 2)
  Going for a Song GFS561 (track 9)
  History 20.1960-HI (vol. 9, disc 1, track 7)
  History 20.1969-HI (disc 1, track 7)
  Jazz Forever 67041 (track 2)
  Jazz Portraits 14545 (track 2)
  Jazz Roots 56059 (track 2)
  Jazzterdays JTD 102410 (track 15)
  Le Jazz / Charly CD 11 (track 8)
  Makin’ Friends / BMG 14170 2 (disc 1, track 20)
  Past Perfect 205798-203 (track 6)
  Proper P1134 (track 15)
  Proper PROPERBOX 98 (disc 2, track 15)
  Rhythm and Blues RANDB047 (disc 2, track 21)
  SME / Sony SRCS 9612 (track 3)

 



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