Oscar Aleman Odeons

The 1950s were a period of great successes for Oscar Aleman. He stopped playing in small groups, like his Quinteto de Swing, but formed larger orchestras. He performed as the major artist in front of his orchestra. He was a popular artist in radio programs and in dance halls.

Carlos Araujo told me some years ago his remembrances about these dance nights. Each dance night started around ten o’clock in the evening and ran until three o’clock at night. Oscar played four times for half hour. Between these acts a jazz and a tango orchestra performed. Most people who attended these evenings wanted to dance, so the music Oscar played was danceable music. However, in the middle of the program he also would play some excellent swing versions like Rose Madreselva (Honeysuckle Rose) or Tea for Two. His tune “Improvisation on Boogie Woogie” was a smash hit during these dance nights. Oscar tried to dance, to play and to sing at the same time, shaking his body and playing his guitar on his back. He also played the guitar, standing, without using a strap. Tapping the rhythm with his foot in a special way. He also pushed his guitar for a second intending that he would throw it into the audience.

One of his first records in this period is Odeon 55240 as Oscar Aleman y su Conjunta de Jazz. He plays Rio Swanee and Cabeza Hinchada. Enjoy the labels. Mind there is a minor difference between the two versions of the labels and I'd love to know which one was first published.

OSCAR ALEMAN y su Conjunto de Jazz ( Odeon 55240) : Mario Felix cl, Carlin Traversa v, Julio Graña v, Raúl Casanova v, Alberto A. Barbera p, Oscar Alemán g vo, Alberto Ramos g, Aldo “Néne” Nicolini b, Arminio Raguza dm
Recorded Buenos Aires, 16 May 1951
18012 - RIO SWANEE ( SWANEE RIVER ) Fox- Trot (Stephen Foster)
( Odeon 55240 )
18013 - CABEZA HINCHADA – Baiao (Hervé Cordovil) - Oscar Aleman vo
(Odeon 55240)

Listen to Cabeza Hinchada

This blog is also published at my Keep swinging blog: http:/keepswinging.blogspot.com/2006/09/oscar-aleman-odeons.html