Oscar Aleman where have you been my whole life?

Svanis1337

Here is another video with lots photographs and clips of Aléman, you have to watch this one all the way through to see it all as well. The second video has him receiving an award and in tears near the end.

Jazzaferri

When hw was bailing out of europe back home as the nazis took over france his national got confiscated as they supposedly wanted the metal for industrial purposes.

Probably just ripping him for his axe as he wasnt white.

Pierrot

"unlike Django and other Gypsy Jazzers, he was a finger picker (crazy, right?)"

Ahem!

jlander9

Ahem!

:roll: haha! okay, okay,retraction! Unlike Django, which as far as I know was mostly a flat picker (and many other Gypsy Jazzer, not all), Aleman was a finger picker....

oldsouth

I'm a huge Oscar Aleman fan - I was actually personally offended by the derisive comments of Ivor Mairants in his otherwise great book on the development of jazz guitar. He was such a fan of Django.... how could you not dig Aleman? I also love the humor in Aleman's music - reminds me of Stuff Smith and Fats Waller. I recall there was some talk of an Aleman book in the works on the forums here a year or so ago. I've been out of circulation for a while - was it completed? Can I buy it?

Jazzaferri

Unfortunately not done .... dont hold your breath methinks

oldsouth

I'll just cross my fingers then... I'd love to get some insight into how he played fingerstyle.

klaatu

oldsouth wrote:

I'd love to get some insight into how he played fingerstyle.

Did he really play fingerstyle? I got the impression that he used a thumbpick pretty much like a flatpick.

noodlenot

i also believe he used a thumb pick.

why was he called aleman (german), BTW?

oldsouth

Ah, that makes sense! I thought it sounded like a plectrum. I also use a thumbpick so my fingers are free for syncopation, double stops, octaves and such... this makes me even more curious!