The first-ever recorded guitar solo in the history of music
For many years, the guitar solo was the ultimate demonstration of musical virtuosity. Feats of skill have been an essential element of music since the 1500s, but it was only in the late 18th century that the term started being used to describe the skill of a soloist. For a long time, opera singers like Giovanna Sestini and pianists such as Franz Liszt (truly the original rockstar) embodied what it was to be a true virtuoso; in the first half of the 20th century, it was jazz musicians. Then, in the late 1950s, ideas surrounding virtuosity changed yet again. Thanks to the popularity of blues and rock ‘n’ roll, the electric guitar became the most revered instrument in popular music. By extension, the guitarist became the virtuoso of the post-war world. Still, the question remains: when was the first-ever guitar solo recorded?
Charlie Christian is frequently referred to as one of the first truly influential electric guitarists. He played in Benny Goodman’s band and recorded with him on several records. However, by this time, a number of electric guitar recordings had already been made. Others have cited Eddie Durham’s playing on ‘Hittin the Bottle’, which was recorded on September 30th, 1935. Of course, Durham was actually playing a resonator guitar when he sat down to record with the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra. Metal-bodied Resonators were introduced by LA’s National String Instrument Corporation in 1927. They were certainly louder than wooden models, but they relied on metal cones rather than magnetic pickups and amplifiers and so can’t be described as electric.
Another option is George Barnes, who recorded his songs ‘Sweetheart Land’ and ‘It’s Lowdown Dirty Shame’ with Big Bill Broonzy on March 1st, 1938. The story goes that, in doing so, he cemented himself as the first person to produce an electric guitar solo. His gipsy-jazz style solo is electrified, but it isn’t the earliest recorded example.
In 1932, George Brewer performed a version of Marion Harris’ ‘A Good Man Is Hard To Find’ using one of the first Spanish electrics made by George Beauchamp. Sadly, the audio quality is so poor that it’s nearly impossible to make out what Brewer is doing. That’s to say nothing of the fact that the recording date remains unknown.
So what are our other options? Well, there is another possibility: some believe that a member of the Texas Playboys produced the first recorded guitar solo during a session with Bob Wills, which took place in Dallas on September 23rd, 1935. The story goes that the group’s producer, Art Satherly, was expecting a run-of-the-mill country string band. He was shocked, then, to find a dozen or so horn players clogging up his informal studio. Wills nearly walked out before the session began, but it went ahead as planned. It would seem the solo was performed not on a steel resonator or Spanish neck but a straight-up electric.
Wills’ song, ‘Get With It’, is a number that fully encapsulates the energetic and infectious style of Western swing music, a genre that emerged in the 1930s and blended elements of jazz, country, blues, and Dixieland with a pulsating effect. The song features lively rhythms, virtuosic instrumental solos, and spirited vocals, creating a rollicking and danceable atmosphere that became synonymous with Bob Wills’ sound. Little did he know it at the time, but history was being made.
You can check out the gritty offering below. Keep an ear out for the moment Wills yells: “Take it away, Mr. Leon! Play that guitar now.”