El Gran Maestro Argentino de Jazz

A few days ago I received a message from Jorgelina Aleman, the granddaughter of Oscar Alemán, the great Argentine guitar player who lived from the 1940s onwards in Buenos Aires. During the last decade he lived at Maipu number 359. She forwarded me a message with a decision made by the local authorities: Dispónese la colocación de una placa recordatoria al gran maestro argentino de Jazz, Don Oscar Alemán, en la fachada del edificio de la calle Maipú n° 359 de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, en el cual vivió, dio clases y compuso sus más importantes obras musicales ( = .... to place a plaquette dedicated to the great master of Argentine jazz, mr. Oscar Aleman, at the wall of his house at Maipu no. 359 in the city of Buenos Aires, where he lived, taught and composed his most important musical works).

photo courtesy: Daniel and Jorgelina Aleman - May 2008

The Legislatura de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires ( = local authorities of Buenos Aires) decided that the plaquette will have the text: En este edificio vivió y transmitió su arte el gran maestro argentino de Jazz, Don Oscar Alemán. Homenaje de la Legislatura de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires ( = In this building the great master of Argentine Jazz, Mr. Oscar Alemán, lived and made his music. A Tribute by the Legislature of Buenos Aires. )

photo courtesy: Daniel and Jorgelina Aleman - May 2008

The unveiling of the plaque will take place on the 13th of June 2008 and this event is organized by the local authorities of Buenos Aires. Jorgelina Alemán, his granddaughter, and vocalist who still loves to spread her grandfather's musical legacy with concerts in theatres and clubs in the honor of Oscar Aleman, will be the central part of a small performance that will be held in the hall of the apartement. Jorgelina will be accompanied by some great Argentine jazzmusicians: Ricardo Péllican - Enrique Varela - Carlos Negro”García Lopez - Chachi Zaragoza - Juan Martinez - Cao Bornes - Daniel Cossarini - Willie Bozas - Julián García - Adrían Lucio - Betty Grifith- Lus Segura - Gisela Lepio - María Cabral and more. Some of the musicians that will take part of the event, like Enrique Varela, Ricardo Péllican and Chachi Zaragosa played with the old master long times ago.

photo courtesy: Daniel and Jorgelina Aleman - May 2008

Thanks to Daniel, Jorgelina's husband, I can share with you some great pictures of the house, in which Oscar lived with his wife in an apartement before he passed away in 1980. In the building where several apartements and in the hall, behind the gate, the event will take place and the plaque will be unveiled.

photo courtesy: Daniel and Jorgelina Aleman - May 2008

Of course, Jorgelina and her friends will understand that we three, The Alemaniacs, Theo, Joergen and myself, loved to be at this cermony, which will be a great overture for next year, 2009, when we celebrate Oscar's 100th birthday.

I will later post the so-called Fundamentos, the account by the local authorities or Buenos Aires, so everyone can read again why Oscar Aleman is labeled as El Gran Maestro Argentino de Jazz.
On behalf of the three Alemaniacs: Hans Koert - keepswinging@live.nl

This contribution is also posted in English and Dutch at the daily Keep Swinging Web Log.

Keep swinging

Hans Koert

keepswinging@live.nl

Oscar Alemán y su Quinteto de Swing

Being fascinated by the Argentine guitar player Oscar Alemán and his music, we, love to google the internet now and then hoping to find new information. Last week, Joergen pointed me to some great pictures by Oscar Aleman y su Quinteto de Swing from the mid 1940s.
The first one is a picture featuring Oscar Aleman and his Quinteto de Swing with Oscar Alemán in front, Ramon M. Caravaca the drummer man, Manuel Gavinovich, the violin player, Caferino Albuquerque, piano player, Luis Gavinovich the bass player and Oscar Guillermo Barbieri, who plays the rhythm guitar. With this Quinteto, if you can count you'll learn that it is a sextet, Oscar performed and recorded from late 1943 ( with different piano players ) up to late 1947. This group was a continuation of his previous Quinteto ( that ensemble had five players) he founded when he returned to Argentina from Europe early 1940s, that was broken up because of problems between Oscar Aleman and his violin player Hernan Oliva, who became a popular Argentine artist with his ensemble after he left Oscar's band. When Oscar founded his second Quinteto his drummer man Ramon M. Caravaca joined him, and because the first Quinteto was very popular, he kept the name ...... although it was in fact a sextet.

The second and third pictures are from the Oscar Aleman y su Quinteto de Jazz, in fact the same ensemble. It is a flyer wich contains, from left to right, Luis Gavinovich on bass, Ramon M. Caravaca on drums, his brother Manuel Gavinovich on violin, Oscar Aleman on solo guitar, Caferino Alburquergue at the piano and Oscar Guillermo Barbieri who played rhythm guitar.

It is rather weird that the flyer contains the titles of six los sucesos del momento, tunes that seem to be made popular at that time, but never were recorded, but one, by this band. The tune El Saltarín Escocés was recorded in Buenos Aires on the 24th of July 1945 by Oscar Alemán y su Quinteto de Swing for Odeon.

The publicer of the pictures is Sara Gonzalez, born Gavanovich. She is the daughter of the bass player in the Oscar Aleman Quinteto de Swing, Luis Gavinovich ( papá Luis) and a niece of Tio ( = uncle) Manuel. Maybe you were surprised because there are differences in the surnames, she told me: But that is the consequence of misspelling in the inmigration offices in Argentina. Father and I , we are both Gavanovich but as musicians they were known as brothers Gavinovich as you can see here. I hope to show you more pictures later of these two men thanks to Sara. Gracia Sara !! Hans Koert - keepswinging@live.nl

This contribution is also posted at the Keep Swinging web Log.

Keep swinging

Hans Koert

keepswinging@live.nl