Alberto Socarrás

Alberto Socarrás Estacio, (Manzanillo, 19 September 1908 – New York City, 26 August 1987), was a Cuban-American flautist who played both Cuban music and jazz.

Socarras started learning the flute in 1915 with his mother, Dolores Estacio, and later joined the provincial music conservatory at Santiago de Cuba. He completed his studies at the Timothy Music Conservatory in New York, gaining the equivalent title to a doctorate in music. In the middle 1920s he moved to Havana to join the theatre orchestra of Arquimedes Pous, where his sister Estrella was playing the violin. He also played in one or two early Cuban jazz bands (Early Cuban jazz) before moving to the United States in 1927.

In the US he recorded with Clarence Williams in 1927 with his first flute solo taking place on "Shooting the Pistol" on the Paramount label that year, making him the earliest known jazz flute soloist (earlier even than Wayman Carver). He played with The Blackbirds revue between 1928 and 1933, and plays on Lizzie Miles's 1928 recording "You're Such a Cruel Papa to Me". In 1933 he played with Benny Carter, then led the all-female Cuban band Anacaona on a tour of Europe in 1934. In 1935 he played with Sam Wooding and led his own bands from 1935 into the 1940s; his sidemen included Edgar Sampson and Mongo Santamaría, and Cab Calloway as a singer. He also played with Erskine Hawkins in 1937. He made one recording session in 1935, with four numbers. He also recorded for RCA Victor in 1947 and SMC Pro-Arte c. 1950. He recorded again in 1955, cutting Afro Cuban versions of four Duke Ellington compositions. In 1956, he recorded two LPs for Decca. In 1959, he appeared on the exotic "Tambo!" LP by Tito Puente for RCA Victor.

In the 1950s he took part in Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone on TV, and offered concerts of cult music at the Carnegie Hall in New York. In the 60s he dedicated himself to teaching, but also made some recordings. In 1983 he was filmed by Gustavo Paredes playing the flute in a TV documentary Música.

Birth and Death Data: Born September 19, 1908 (Manzanillo), Died August 26, 1987 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1928 - 1957

Roles Represented in DAHR: flute, leader, composer, saxophone, director, alto saxophone, performer, clarinet, arranger, lyricist

Notes: Full name is Alberto Socarrás Estacio.

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 26-50 of 62 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia W146431 10-in. 6/12/1928 My dif'rent kind of man Lizzie Miles Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with instrumental trio instrumentalist, alto saxophone, flute  
Columbia TO1538 10-in. 4/16/1935 Hokus pokus Orquesta Del Cubanacan ; Alberto Socarrás Instrumental ensemble leader  
Columbia CO17294 10-in. 4/16/1935 Masabí : Rumba Orquesta Del Cubanacan ; Alberto Socarrás Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble leader  
Columbia CO17295 10-in. 4/16/1935 Masabí : Rumba Orquesta Del Cubanacan ; Alberto Socarrás Instrumental ensemble leader  
Columbia CO17296 10-in. 4/16/1935 Pacto con el diablo : Rumba Orquesta Del Cubanacan ; Alberto Socarrás Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble leader, composer  
Columbia CO17297 10-in. 4/16/1935 Pacto con el diablo : Rumba Orquesta Del Cubanacan ; Alberto Socarrás Instrumental ensemble leader, composer  
Columbia CO17298 10-in. 4/16/1935 Tabú : Canción fox Orquesta Del Cubanacan ; Alberto Socarrás Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble leader  
Columbia CO17299 10-in. 4/16/1935 Tabú : Canción fox Orquesta Del Cubanacan ; Alberto Socarrás Instrumental ensemble leader  
Columbia CO17300 10-in. 4/16/1935 Por que lo dices : Bolero son Orquesta Del Cubanacan ; Alberto Socarrás Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble leader, composer  
Columbia CO17301 10-in. 4/16/1935 Por que lo dices : Bolero son Orquesta Del Cubanacan ; Alberto Socarrás Instrumental ensemble leader, composer  
Columbia CO17302 10-in. 4/16/1935 Borinquen : Bolero canción Chiquito ; Orquesta Del Cubanacan ; Alberto Socarrás Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble leader  
Columbia CO17303 10-in. 4/16/1935 Borinquen : Rumba Orquesta Del Cubanacan ; Alberto Socarrás Instrumental ensemble leader  
Columbia CO17304 10-in. 4/16/1935 Africa : Bolero canción Orquesta Del Cubanacan ; Alberto Socarrás Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble leader  
Columbia CO17305 10-in. 4/16/1935 Africa : Rumba Orquesta Del Cubanacan ; Alberto Socarrás Instrumental ensemble leader  
Columbia CO30478 10-in. 5/16/1941 La flauta magica Orquesta Alberto Socarrás ; Alberto Socarrás Instrumental ensemble, with flute solo instrumentalist, flute, leader  
Columbia CO30479 10-in. 5/16/1941 Conga china Carmona ; Orquesta Alberto Socarrás Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble leader, composer  
Columbia CO30480 10-in. 5/16/1941 Impaciente porqué vuelvas : Bolero Carmona ; Orquesta Alberto Socarrás Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble leader, composer  
Columbia CO30481 10-in. 5/16/1941 Solo tu Carmona ; Orquesta Alberto Socarrás Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble composer, leader  
Decca 65744 10-in. 6/7/1939 Siga contando hasta diez Alberto Socarras performer  
Decca 65745 10-in. 6/7/1939 La pena de Gabino Alberto Socarras performer  
Decca 65746 10-in. 6/7/1939 Casate y veras Alberto Socarras performer  
Decca 65747 10-in. 6/7/1939 Timoteo Alberto Socarras performer  
Decca 65748 10-in. 6/7/1939 Eres tu solo tu Alberto Socarras performer  
Decca 65749 10-in. 6/7/1939 Sara sarita mia Alberto Socarras performer  
Decca 100965 11/14/1956 Frenesi Alberto Socarrás instrumentalist, flute  
(Results 26-50 of 62 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Socarrás, Alberto," accessed November 21, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/110509.

Socarrás, Alberto. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/110509.

"Socarrás, Alberto." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 21 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/110509

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