The recording of this tune marks the first of the mini-marathon recording
dates at the Columbia studios during the rest of 1940 through the first
month of the following year. Much of the material from these sessions
was first released on CD in 1993 on the Jazz Unlimited (Denmark) label with
the title “The Rehearsal Sessions • 1940-41 • Featuring Charlie Christian”
some of which had been on LPs from several labels two decades earlier.
Charlie Christian had been recorded once before on Wholly Cats, just ten
days earlier, but with a very different cast and in a different key. These
six studio takes seem like a completely different tune. Charles is allotted
only two blues choruses (in the key of G) on which to solo whereas on the
previous date, a rehearsal, he got three choruses (in
C).
Charles’ solos are very different on each take of Wholly Cats and
without doubt the highlight of the tune in every version. The master
take (the fifth take of the day) selected for Columbia release serves as a suitable representative of
the theme and riffs played in the studio and on radio broadcasts of the
piece. Later live dates are enhanced by the presence of master drummer
Dave Tough but the ensemble routine is pretty much the same throughout the
different sessions.
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