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PAUL VERNON CHESTER

Manouche Maestro

Oscar Aleman was born on the 20th of February 1909 as the son of a Toba Indian from the El Chaco district and an Argentine father Jorge Aléman Moreira, and as a small boy he had to earn money, together with his father and brothers and sisters (Carlos, Jorgelina and Juana) for his family with the Moreira Sextet, a vaudeville group that toured in Argentina and Brasil. Little Oscar was dancing, being labelled as El compeón del malambo (= The King of the Malambo). When he was twelve years old his father committed suicide, his mother died in Buenos Aires and the kids had to earn a living on the streets of Santos (Brasil). Oscar danced, became a prize fighter and could even save some money to buy himself a cavaquinho. He taught himself to play this instrument and, as he has said, the first tune he learned to play was titled O.A. 1926. Returned in Buenos Aires he became part of a duo with Gaston Bueno Lobo, who played the Dobro and Hawaiian guitar. They were rather successful with their duo Les Loups, or Los Lobos.

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    During his stay in Europe, Oscar Alemán was a regular member of Josephine Baker's orchestra on and off throughout the 1930s - on her tours he even was Musical Director of the 16 piece band, The Baker Boys. (Opposite)
    When not performing with Baker, Alemán had a 'second career' as a freelance musician (i.e. with the Jean, Jac & Jo vocal trio, also members of the Josephine Baker organisation) besides leading his own bands in Paris and taking part in gigs and recording sessions by others as well.
    Around 1935 Alemán had the guitar chair for some time in the orchestra led by the American entertainer and bandleader, Freddy Taylor.

    The two sides recorded by Freddy Taylor And His Swing Men From Harlem in March 1935 contain "Blue Drag" (mx 77285) and " Viper's Dream" (mx 77286), released on a 78 rpm disc by the Ultraphone label, Ultraphone AP-1489. Discographical listed personnel of the band as follows: Freddy Taylor (dir,vo,tp), Charlie Johnson (tp), Arthur “Chester” Lanier (cl, as, bars), Fletcher Allen (cl, ts), Oscar Alemán (g), Eugčne d’Hellemmes (b), William Diemer (dm).
     
     

     Frank 'Big Boy' Goudie and Oscar Aleman ( 1935)
     
    The recorded music on both sides features excellent moments of 1930s Euro-American swing with great contributions by the reeds, only "Blue Drag" has vocal by Taylor. These sides are also notable and worth mentioning regarding Alemán, although he does not solo in this session. These two sides are the first recorded sides featuring Oscar Alemán in a regular jazz setting, and you can clearly hear his contribution as a solid rhythm guitar player behind the soloists - Alemán's preferred instrument at this time, the metal body National Tri-cone guitar is easily detected as a propelling drive of the rhythm section.


    In the Oscar Alemán online discography another session from March 1935 featuring Freddy Taylor And His Swing Men From Harlem is also listed - only test recordings of the four performed tunes exist. These are "Mama Don't Allow It", "Blue Drag", "Swanee River" and "How Come You Do Me Like You Do?". According to available discographical info the personnel is the same as listed above, although there has been some discussion regarding Alemán's participation.

    Thanks to a collector, Yves Francois, who kindly forwarded a copy on cdr of "Swanee River" and "How Come You Do Me Like You Do?", it can now be determained from actual listening to the music that Oscar Alemán does NOT participate as the guitar player on the mentioned two test sides. The rhythm playing and the couple of short solos by the guitar are definitely not by Alemán - the guitar is most probably handled by Django Reinhardt, as the riffs and solo work bear all the well known trademarks of the gypsy guitar style of Reinhardt from this period. I guess the remaining two test sides from the same session also have Reinhardt as the guitar player, but I encourage readers with more knowledge and available audio evidence to forward further info to solve this discographical puzzle.

     

    It is interesting that, at first i thought it was Aleman, due to the greater swing in the music. on listening to it further this past year, i was somewhat puzzled, for certain phrases are those of of django, while others bear a certain influence of Oscar Aleman. i guess this would mean that Delauney was correct about this session after all. too bad that the ultraphone 78 does not have Aleman solos, for Aleman is a very mature soloist on the 1936 titles with Bill Coleman in the jazz vein. the rhythmic differences between the two are major, and it could be said that the questioning re whether this was Django or Oscar may of been that while Django was learning jazz, he and Oscar jammed together and a bit rubbed off on Reinhardt (and that the swing of this band is a thousand times more powerful than playing with Vola, Stephane and cohorts) so of course django would conform (somewhat) to the impetus of this particular rhythm section and their phraseology. this data should be sent to the label fremeaux and others as well (for the other 2 titles would probably be reissued if it is felt that it is django ,he has a very large fan base), now can we hope for airings of the Taylor Band live with Aleman (and Bill Coleman, the Taylor band did broadcast a bit). it has to be said that it was criminal that Oscar was so under recorded in a jazz setting in Paris, while Django recorded so much (i am a great fan of django, but remember Paris also had in the 1930's such excellent musicians like Don Baretto, the Ferret family ,Django's brother Joseph ,Pollo Malahel, Claude Martial and especially Oscar Aleman all performing excellent jazz and related forms) -  yves francois

     
    Film Clip of Oscar Aleman
     

    Alemán said: "I knew Django Reinhardt well. He used to say jazz was gipsy - we often argued over that. I agree with many Americans I met in France who said he played very well but with too many gipsy tricks. He had very good technique for both hands, or rather one hand and a pick, because he always played with a pick. Not me, I play with my fingers. There are things you can't do with a pick - you can't strike the treble with two fingers and play something else on the bass string. - But I admired him and he was my friend. He was my greatest friend in France. We played together many times, just for ourselves. I used to go to his wagon, where he lived. I've slept and eaten there - and also played! He had three or four guitars. Django never asked anyone to go to his wagon, but he made an exception with me. I appreciated him, and I believe the feeling was mutual".
     
    Oscar Aleman Score - Hombre Mio
     
     
    One story tells us how Oscar Aleman was dining at Pigalle’s La Cloche d’Or after he played in a Josephine Baker show when one of Django’s band members came in, in a rush and asked if he could help, because all strings of Django’s guitar were broken. Aleman always had a spare set and gave it to the man: “Here give it to Django and say Bon Soir from me”. Several nights later, Oscar dined in the same restaurant and when he wanted to pay the bill, Django had paid it all to thank him.
     
    Aleman played without a pick, and his tone was warm, and his use of vibrato was melancholy. His attack was more soft than percussive and his rhythmic sense was loose - he played cat and mouse with the beat.

    A contrast of recordings of “Jeepers Creepers” by the two men, Reinhardt’s from 1937, Aleman’s from 1939, reveals diverging musical personalities. Django, who played with a pick, employs a rapid-fire, often staccato approach when he solos, replete with sweep arpeggios, and the trebly sound that results from playing close to the bridge.

    Aleman, who played with his fingers, employs more space between his lines, and lets his vibrato, less frenetic than Django’s, ring out. His melodic approach is less precise rhythmically. His attack is softer and his timbre, darker.

    Aleman, like other black expatriates, suffered humiliations after the Nazis occupied Paris in May of 1940. Aleman moved back to Buenos Aires and started the Quinteto de Swing, which utilized violin, rhythm, guitar, bass and drums. He recorded 10 sides with this group between 1941 and 1943 for the Argentine Odeon label, among them “Hombre Mio,” “I Got Rhythm,” “In the Mood" and Sweet Georgia Brown."

     

    Quinteto de Swing, with Hernán Oliva, who was an expert on his violin. They made several recordings and they became a popular band, to play on the radio or in the numerous dance halls in Buenos Aires. Although most of these first Quinteto de Swing recordings are reissued in Argentina, I was surprised to learn that Saga Jazz released the album Oscar Alemán - Ritmo Loco - el Rey de la Guitarra Swing. This selection brings its first recording, Dulca Georgia Brown (= Sweet Georgia Brown). In 1944, due to personality clashes, Hernán Oliva leaves the band and Oscar continues his Quintet de Swing on radio and theatre and Oscar even takes part of some films, like Buenos Aires Canta and El Idolo del Tango.
     

    Quinteto de Swing had a Hot Club du France line-up he asked Manuel Gavinovich on the violin and Luis Gavinovich on the bass. Guillermo Barbieri, the rhythm guitar player, and Ramón Caravaca continued playing in the "new" Quinteto de Swing. Oscar had developed into a well known artist thanks to his programs on the LR3 Radio Belgrano and Antena programs. He became a sought after soloist at dance parties. Hundreds of young Argentines loved to dance in the giant exclusive dance halls where Oscar performed. He was a pop star and his Quinteto de Swing had made space for a large orchestra that accompanied him. He recorded dozens of sides with this Orquesta de Jazz or Conjunto de Jazz (Conjunto means Ensemble). On the Saga Jazz record are 14 sides, with a great Ritmo Loco, the title song of this compilation, which is in English Crazy Rhythm, Gershwin's Tengo Ritmo ( I Got Rhythm) and the St. Louis Blues. But, new music styles, the Rock and Roll hype, didn't pass Argentina and the youth got new idols, new rhythms, new dances, new music .... and Oscar Alemán couldn't fulfil the needs of the youth anymore. Of course he tried to bring some Rock and Roll into his repertoire, like Bailando el Rock, Mortitat (= Mack The Knife) or Rock around The Clock. The Saga Jazz El Rey de la Guitarra Swing ends with the last side Oscar recorded for Odeón with his Orquesta de Jazz in the 1950s: Oscarinadas. (Buenos Aires 17th of June 1957).
     


     Drawing of Oscar from a 1960s LP.


    The next decade Oscar Aleman lived like a retired musician, earning a living as a teacher, teaching guitar players to play like the great maestro, and the people of Argentina forgot his successes. In the mid 1960s he's back, playing in some venues for his dedicated fans of the 1940s and 50s, who didn't forgot him.

    His band is named Los Cinco Caballeros with Mario Felic on clarinet; Albertao Barbera at the piano who also participated in his orchestra during the 1950s. In the 1970s Oscar makes a great album titled Aleman'72 and some more LPs on the Redondel label.

    In the fall of 1980 dies in a hospital in Argentina.


     

    Oscar Alemán with (prob.) Gonzalito on clarinet and Raúl Casanova on the violin.

    During the last decades of the 20th century Oscar Alemán and his musical legacy seemed to be almost forgotten. But thanks to his granddaughter Jorgelina Alemán, vocalist, who follows in her grand father's footsteps, the music is available again in shows and on stage.

    Also de Hot Club de Boedo with leader Waldo Fonseca on the guitar, Heldo Fonseca on the clarinet, Martín López Goitía on the rhythm guitar and Julián Pierángeli on bass, started a little Oscar Alemán music revival and play his music all around Argentina. On the 20th of February 2009, there will be concerts and gatherings to commemorate the fact that Oscar Alemán was born 100 years ago. The documentary Oscar Aleman - La Vida con Swing made by Hernan Gaffet was released a few years ago and gives a unique view on Oscar's career. It would be great if it was released in Europe and the States too. Maybe the long expected book of Guillermo Iacona about Oscar Aleman will be published.

     


     

    Oscar Alemán ( January 1980)
    In Argentina most, if not all, Oscar Alemán records, made in Argentina on the Odeon label have been reissued. In Europe and the States his Argentine period has been an undeveloped period, but thanks to the online Oscar Alemán discography, you can see his list of recordings. The Oscar Alemán compilation on Saga Jazz titled Oscar Alemán - Ritmo Loco - El Rey de la Guitarra Swing is a great low budget addition.....

     
    Oscar Aleman Blues Jam from the film El Idolo Del Tango (1949)

    I know about Oscar Alemán. I saw him on TV when I was something like 14 years old. I wanted to take lessons with him but at that time his health wasn't so good. He was a really good player in the Django style but he never got a proper recognition. A shame. - Luis D'Agostino Argentinian Guitarist
     

    Finger Pickin' Good

    Oscar 'Amplified' - DeArmond Pickup in place

    Finger-picking simply means that the guitar is picked using your fingers instead of being plucked with a plectrum. However, this technique is not of American origins only, it has always been the 'natural' way to approach the instrument in times before the plectrum plucked guitar emerged as a solution to sound amplification in a jazz context. At an early age Alemán adapted the finger-picking technique from playing the cavaquinho, the four stringed Brazilian ukulele-like instrument, and his approach certainly was unusual for the average player of that instrument. Unlike other cavaquinho players Alemán adapted a finger-picking technique more commonly used by Brazilian guitarists, the size of this instrument suited his physical abilities and stature at his age, thus he employed the technique he had watched guitarists using taking on a learning process that depended on what he heard and what was possible to do with the instrument. An individual attitude to playing he kept for the rest of his life, refined to the level of virtuosity and adapted to the six string guitar. - It's a thrill to listen to Alemán's first musical effort, the tune 'OA 1926', played on the cavaquinho using finger-picking technique, the tune sounds like a ragtime piece that could have been a part of the standard book of any of the American ragtime guitar players of the time, but the difference of course is that Alemán picked the tune on a cavaquinho and only had four strings at hand. How would this tune sound, if picked on a six string guitar? I just found an example of an answer to that question at YouTube that I like to share below. - From a live performance recently at 'La cuadrada' (Mar del Plata, Argentina) Agustin Luna plays a solo recital of a medley of tunes from the Alemán book including a reading of 'OA 1926' - Enjoy!

    Renditions of Oscar Aleman Style

    Aleman's records as a sideman display two aspects of his musical personality rarely heard on the sessions made under his own leadership. Firstly, his ability to make a complete and meaningful solo statement in a few bars. Secondly, his interesting work as a rhythm guitarist - his full and precise chords make a great contribution to rhythm section swing, and his way of varying the accompaniment behind each soloist helps to colour the performances.

     
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    Last modified: 25/08/2010