Hawayanita + Meu Amigo

Jorgen found these items on eBay. That means that there are transcriptions of Oscar's music !!

Has anyone more information?

Trio Victor ( Victor 47401) - confirmation wanted

Can someone confirm the presence of Oscar Aleman on the Trio Victor recording "Amante Sonodor"and "Recondita" ( Victor 47401 ) ca. 1929 ?

Oscar Aleman - Duke Ellington

Stan Brager wondered what is true about the story that Duke Ellington asked Oscar Aleman to join his band in 1933 he found in Dregni's book "Django". I gave him my view ( Oscar was asked to join Ellington's band for a summer tour through the US only, but Josephine Baker refused to let him go. It seems that Fred Guy started to learn to play the solo guitar instead of his banjo after Duke heard Oscar playing). Stan asked Michael Dregni, author of "Django" for his source. Dregni replied that he found it in a 1972 Argentinean magazine interview, but he has no copy of it. Can someone help me to obtain a copy of that interview?

Buenos Aires, 1968

Thanks to Waldo Fonseca

Stan Brager se preguntaba que hay de cierto acerca de la historia que Duke Ellington invitó a Oscar Aleman a unirse a la banda en 1933, según el libro 'Django' de Dregni. Le dí a él mi punto de vista (Oscar fué invitado a unirse a la banda de Ellington en una gira de verano por U.S.A. solamente,pero Josephine Baker se negó a dejarlo partir). Parece ser que Fred Guy comenzó a aprender los solos de guitarra en vez del banjo después que Duke lo escuchó tocar a Oscar). Stan e preguntó a Michael Dregni, el autor de 'Django' por el origen de esta información. Dregni respondió que la encontró en una entrevista publicada en una revista argentina de 1972, pero
que no tenía copia de ella. Habrá alguien que me pueda ayudar a obtener una copia de esta entrevista?

Gracias anticipadas.

Traduccion en español: Luis Contijoch

Oscar Aleman in Copenhagen published

Oscar Aleman in Copenhagen

Last summer Theo van de Graaff, Joergen Larsen and I joined the 2005 IAJRC Convention in Copenhagen. We made a presentation about the music of Oscar Aleman and especially about his 1930 Copenhagen recordings, he made with Svend Asmussen. It was a great honour to meet Mr. Asmussen and to talk with him about these recordings. With a lot of humour he remembered his old friend Oscar Aleman he met late 1930s in Copenhagen and Paris and mid 1950s in Buenos Aires. His story and the historical facts made me write this article. It is to read at http://durium.opweb.nl/article1.htm

El Artículo 'Oscar Alemán En Copenhagen' ha sido publicado en 'The Journal' de IAJRC (Asociación Internacional de Coleccionistas de Discos de Jazz). El verano pasado theo van de Graaf, Joergen Larsen y yo nos encontramos en la convención 2005 de IAJRC en Copenhagen. Hicimos la presentación acerca de la música de Oscar Alemán y especialmente acerca de las grabaciones de 1930 que hizo con Sven Asmussen. Fué un gran honor conocer al Sr. Asmussen y hablar de estas grabaciones. Con gran sentido de humor recordaba a Oscar Aleman, a quién volvió a encontrar a fines de los 30's en Copenhagen y luego a mediados de los 50's en Buenos Aires. Su historia y los hechos históricos me impulsaron a escribir este artículo. Está disponible ara bajarlo en ingles y español en: http://durium.opweb.nl/article1.htm

Traduccion en español: Luis Contijoch

Oscar Aleman transcriptions wanted

Urban Djin, a US western swing guitar player contacted me some days ago.
Hello Hans

I came upon your site while looking (in vain) for transcriptions of the guitar work of Oscar Aleman. He's my favorite player of the 30's. No disrespect meant to Django, but he gets all the attention. Perhaps the romance of the damaged fingers. We all love it when someone overcomes obstacles, and that no doubt did contribute to his unique style. But Oscar had all of his fingers and put them to amazing use. And his roots as a dancer, no doubt, contributed to a sublime feeling for rhythm. If you have any leads on transcriptions I would appreciate it if you could point me in the right direction.

Thanks for helping keep the memory of this all but unknown giant alive. I have a friend, now dead, who was a jazz singer from Argentina who knew him quite well. You might enjoy the "Lois Blue" story on my website under "Rants and Raves." Aleman is also probably the only black jazz giant whose fame is completely eclipsed by a white contemporary. An odd irony considering how effortlessly racial bias in Jazz goes the other way.

Thank you

Urban Djin

If you can help this man please post a comment.

Keep swinging

Hans Koert

Alemán blog welcomed

Dear Hans & Alemániacs,

Great idea to create a blog spot regarding our hero, the great Oscar Alemán. I'll certainly contribute and hope others will join too. Keep swinging, regards
Jo

The Baker Boys, directed by Robert De Kers | Los Baker Boys, dirigidos por Robert De Kers

photo courtesy Albert Michiels

from left to right desde izquierda a derecha:

standing de pie / Jean Omer s - Jules Testaert tb - Pierre De Bom dm - Robert De Kers tp dir - Fritz Stammer p - Michek "Mike" Ortoso s g - ? - Gabor Radics v - Oscar Aleman g
middle en el medio / Arthur Saguet s
front primera fila / Fernand Coppieters p - Francois "Sus" Serluppens b tu - David van Wezel tp = Jo Klein as - Lucien Devroy tp - J. Brys v

Thanks to Albert Michiels and Luc De Baets from the Belgium jazz magazine Jazzmozaïek" I can show you a rare early picture of The Baker Boys directed by Robert De Kers between 1931 and 1932. The Belgian trumpet player
Robert De Kers met Oscar Aleman and Gaston Lobo at Harry Fleming group late 1920s while touring through Europe. Most of the members of the Baker Boys on the picture are from Belgium. Gaston Lobo is not on it - he returned to Brazil and committed suicide.

Gracias a Albert Michiels y Luc de Baets de la publicación belga "Jazzmozaiek", les puedo mostrar a Uds. una rara y antigua foto de los Baker Boys, dirigidos por Robert De Kers entre 1931 y 1932. El trompetista belga Robert De Kers se unió a Oscar Alemán y Gaston Lobo en el grupo de Harry Fleming a finales de los 20's mientras estaban de gira por Europa. La mayoría de los miembros de los Baker Boys en la foto son de Bélgica. No se encuentra Gastón Lobo, porque había retornado a Brasil para suicidarse luego.

Traduccion en español: Luis Contijoch
Keep swinging

Hans Koert
El Redescubrimiento de Oscar Aleman project

Welcome

Welcome to my Oscar Aleman weblog.

It will give you information about the "El Redescubrimiento de Oscar Aleman" project, or in English "The Rediscovering of Oscar Aleman" project.
Feel free to post your reactions.

Hans Koert