New DVD: Oscar Aleman - A Swinging Life (Vida Con Swing)

MichaelHorowitz

A Swinging Life (Vida Con Swing) Zone 1 DVD"
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Oscar
Aleman

A
Swinging Life (Vida Con Swing) Zone 1 DVD

Stackabones

This looks pretty cool. Anyone seen it, yet?

MichaelHorowitz

It's a must have item if you're into Oscar. I knew very little about his colorful and tragic life till I saw this.

Also has all the know video clips of him play...wow, what a performer he was! Played the guitar behind his head 30 years before Jimmy Hendrix!

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Link

Just to say, I snagged a copy of this for practically nothing straight from Argentina and highly recommend it. In Spanish with subtitles, thankfully, it's an incredible story but then the greats just seem to be born to do whatever it is that they end up excelling at with adversity making a perfect fuel.

The 'showman' side of Aleman's art always coloured my view on his music for some reason. Showy stuff usually gets a biased mental markdown from me for some reason but jeez this guy could swing the more I listen, and re-listen, to the music of his I have access to. His style, to me, isn't nearly as 'angular' as Django's but he's up there with him in the harmonic conception stakes to my feeble ear. Hopefully that doesn't sound too passe but I'm just a hack and I feel like a switch has just been flipped on with Aleman's playing.

GregLewis

What is zone 1(Sorry, I go back to the kinescope)? Will it play in the US?

redblues

DVD zoning was an antiquated way for major entertainment corporations to maximise profits from the selling of DVD's that will only play on certain DVD players. Technology has overtaken them now though and there are many ways to circumvent their zoneism.

Zone 1 is the US though so no need for you to worry.

Steveareno

His early stuff apparently was recorded using a National resonator guitar. Later photos show him with a d-hole Sel/Mac style guitar with a pick up. Used a thumbpick. Hard to tell on the recordings what he was using. I've got the two disc compilation that David Grissman put together. Should look at the liner notes more closely. Great stuff. Anyone know more about what instruments he used and when?
Swang on,

Steveareno

I think I read he lost the National when he returned to Argentina at the outbreak of WW2. Looks like he switched to the Dhole after that and kept it quite a while. Must see that DVD one day.



Swang on,

predatore2005

I want to share with you the link to the Oscar Aleman tribute book fan page in facebook. The book will be out in october! https://www.facebook.com/TributoAOscarAleman Thanks for sharing!