Description
The Guitar Artistry of Oscar Alemán
Choros and Brazilian Melodies
Thursdays, 7:30pm – 8:45 pm EST
May 18 – June 15 (via Zoom)
All sessions will be video recorded & made available immediately following class
Cost: $225 – 5 classes per session.
Oscar Alemán is best known for his pioneering swing guitar work that rivaled Django Reinhardt throughout the 1930’s Parisian Jazz scene. He may also be one of the first jazz guitarists to record choros, sambas and other Brazilian music. This five-week workshop will examine his approach, technique and melodic interpretations through detailed transcriptions of his recordings from the 1940s and 1950s of “Tico Tico,” “Delicado” and “Carinhoso.” While these dexterous arrangements can serve as études to improve your technique and musicality, they are also beautiful pieces of music to simply add to your repertoire. In this light, we will also also consider how Alemán arranged the pieces and directed his swing band, “Quinteto de swing,” to perform these with stylistic accuracy.
All printed music will be in standard notation and tablature with corresponding chord diagrams so note reading is not required. Mp3 and video practice examples will made available as needed.
Class limit 15.
Questions? email Greg Ruby
I have admired Greg Ruby’s musicality ever since I first saw him perform with Pearl Django more than two decades ago, and I have benefited tremendously from taking a series of week long swing guitar courses with him on two occasions. The first was a course on jazz guitar fundamentals, and I still work with the excellent resources he circulated as part of that course. In fact, the packet for that course remains the most useful jazz guitar primer that I own. The second course I took with Greg included a focus on the virtuosic playing of the Argentine maestro Oscar Aleman (1909-1980), and I’ll never forget the joy I felt as Greg walked the entire class of people through the mind-bending runs that kick off Aleman’s classic recording of “I Got Rhythm.” Newsflash alert: Those runs involve using your thumb to fret some bass notes, but fear not, Greg will show you what you’re capable of playing! A world class musician and an enthusiastic teacher, Greg Ruby is an ideal guitar instructor for jazz beginners and accomplished players alike.
Jeffrey A. Keith, Ph.D., Professor of Global Studies, Warren Wilson College
