Masters of Jazz Guitar

[Durium]

Masters of Jazz Guitar - Charles Alexander

I found myself the book Masters of Jazz Guitar and checked it on info about Django Reinhardt and Oscar Aleman.

Django versus Oscar

Keep swinging

Durium

[Jim R]

"From all the books about jazz in general and jazz guitar in particular (except my Oscar Aleman discography of course !!) this great book of Charles Alexander ( it has a bonus CD too - I'll discuss that item later) has the most lines dedicated to Oscar Aleman - 15."

Not sure I understand... "most lines"? The two main books that I've had for years- Maurice Summerfield's THE JAZZ GUITAR (1978) and Norman Mongan's THE HISTORY OF THE GUITAR IN JAZZ (1983) both offer more lines than that. Mongan actually devoted a few pages to Aleman, including a solo transcription of "Sweet Sue". Neither has much of a discography, though, if that's what you meant.

[Durium]

"From all the books about jazz in general and jazz guitar in particular (except my Oscar Aleman discography of course !!) this great book of Charles Alexander ( it has a bonus CD too - I'll discuss that item later) has the most lines dedicated to Oscar Aleman - 15."

Not sure I understand... "most lines"? The two main books that I've had for years- Maurice Summerfield's THE JAZZ GUITAR (1978) and Norman Mongan's THE HISTORY OF THE GUITAR IN JAZZ (1983) both offer more lines than that. Mongan actually devoted a few pages to Aleman, including a solo transcription of "Sweet Sue". Neither has much of a discography, though, if that's what you meant.

I don't have both books myself, nor did I read it. So you made me anxious.

There is an Oscar Aleman Discography in my book, but also online on the internet.

Django Reinhardt versus Oscar Aleman

Keep swinging

Durium

[Jim R]

You have to study before you can become a teacher, and you ought to do some research before you start writing (or something like that ). Too many people make erroneous statements that are read and accepted by a lot of people, thanks to the power of the blog. Don't be among them.

Just a little constructive (I hope) criticism.

[Ken Dryden]

Lack of research doesn't seem to keep some writers from get publishing contracts for new books...

Examples include the recent Wayne Shorter and Grant Green bios, which were full of errors, faulty judgements and often sloppy research.

[Big Beat Steve]

I can understand the necessity and desire of reestablishing some names in jazz history to their (assumed or actual) rightful place, and no doubt Oscar Aleman has been underrated. But is this what the discussion of jazz guitarists ought to boil down to?

Being in the wrongest place at the right or wrong time (i.e. neither in the USA nor even in Europe) certainly didn't help in promiting his name. Not that this would excuse him being overlooked, but it makes it a bit easier to understand.

Focusing on Oscar Aleman therefore is a somewhat narrow approach. I guess you might come with any amount of names of overlooked players of this often underrated instrument in jazz.

Does this book, for example, cover Henri Crolla as someone who carried on the legacy of Django?

And as for the title of your post (Django vs. Oscar), how about Oscar MOORE?

BTW - Jim R, which of the books you mention would you recommend most to those interested mainly in, say, jazz guitar from the beginning up to the 60s?

Edited May 11, 2007 by Big Beat Steve

[AllenLowe]

tangential, perhaps, but I think Jim Sallis's book on guitar is excellent - it's basically a series of profiles covering most styles -