Whether it’s jazz, blues, gospel, swing or rock ‘n’ roll you’re after, Oklahoma City’s Charlie Christian touched it all. From his upbringing in OKC’s early Deep Deuce District where his older brothers taught him to play jazz on his guitar to the Staten Island sanitarium where he died from tuberculosis at the age of 25, Christian filled his short life with vigor. Playing for Benny Goodman and later as a solo artist, he made the electric guitar a staple of jazz and helped define the bebop sound that flourished long after his death. In his honor, the Charlie Christian International Music Festival celebrates its 28th year of bringing musical excellence to Oklahoma City. This year’s festival will be Friday, June 7-Saturday, June 8, at the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, 2 S. Mickey Mantle Drive, with NAJEE, All Funk Radio Show, Kirk Whalum and many others in concert and jam sessions. Go to www.charliechristianmusicfestival.com for the details on admission, schedules and the lineup.
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