Oscar Aleman (1909-1980) is one of the most underrated names in the history of jazz guitar. Born in Argentina, Aleman was a professional player since his teens and, after four years of touring through South America, he came to Europe with tap dancer Harry Flaming. Then, in 1932, he settled in Paris as guitarist for Josephine Baker. At that time the artistry of Aleman was so impressive that Duke Ellington, while touring Europe in 1933, asked him to join his orchestra. Unfortunately for jazz guitar history, Josephine Baker refused to let him go. Beside that, Aleman had the bad luck to share the Parisian jazz guitar scene with the rising star of Django Reinhardt and the fame of the Manouche always put Aleman in a undeserved 'second place' position. The two were good friends and had great mutual admiration but never recorded together. Really, Aleman was even preferred to Django by someone, like famous jazz critic Leonard Feather who in 1939 wrote " ... his tone, phrasing, swing and attack are so grand that if anyone ever mentions Django Reinhardt to me again, I shall stare coldly... Aleman has more swing than any other guitarist on the Continent." Here, (continuing the 'guitar solo' spots by Django and McDonough) we can hear Aleman 'solo' in 1938. The totally personal approach is very clear form the first bars: Aleman uses a fingerstyle technique (with thumbpick) and shows a top level virtuosity which expresses a world in its own, a unique blend of American(s) and European flavours. If you don't know his records, get some of them and you'll not regret it.
(For more info about Aleman check the great blog: http://oscar-aleman.blogspot.com/)
Thanks for the post, great to have some focus on Alemán's solo ability. Correct that he blends Latin approach to his style, which historically may be considered 'original' compared to the plectum players among early jazz guitarists - to play with your fingers was always the 'original' or 'natural' way to appoach the instrument both among classical trained musicians and among amateurs before the emergency of Eddie Lang and the banjo-initiated string slingers changing to the guitar. Anyway, Alemán is one of a kind, at least in 1938 when the audio was recorded in Copenhagen. Of course Lonnie Johnson and Teddy Bunn had recorded using finger picking, but the two recordings made by Alemán in Copenhagen 1938 are outstanding blending a Latin 'tinge' with jazzy guitar-licks. Unfortunately, his efforts at this specific recording (- and its coupling) were not taken notice of by the recordbuying public at the time, only 91! copies of the record were sold (- and there was never made a secound pressing). Today, these solos may be ranked among the highlights of recorded jazz guitar solos of the 1930s.
ReplyDeleteJo
I agree with you Jo, the two Aleman's guitar solos are masterpieces of jazz guitar. Strangely, I have never found articles or studies making a comparison between Aleman's and Django's styles. If anyone is aware of something about this, please let me know, I thank him/her in advance.
ReplyDeleteRegarding a comparison of Alemán's of Django's style this small sequence for a start: "Anyone who listens with care to the records of Alemán and Reinhardt will notice there is only a superficial likeness between them and that it is not difficult to differentiate them.
ReplyDeleteAlemán had a style less baroque than Django's, more paused, with more silences - a kind of stateliness, as well as a marked preference for the low register, a very personal vibrato, a 'hammered' way of phrasing, alternating (often within the same solo) with elaborate traceries. Alemán's solos seem to be more thought out than Django's. They are full of surprises, but nonetheless they have an air of premeditation, unlike Django's, which suggest something fully spontaneous." quoted from an article to be found here: http://www.classicjazzguitar.com/articles/article.jsp?article=62