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 1-25 of 62 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-77459 10-in. 8/14/1933 Consuelo Alberto Socarrás y Consuelo Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, saxophone, composer, director  
Victor BS-77460 10-in. 8/14/1933 La conga Alberto Socarrás y Consuelo Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, saxophone, composer, director  
Victor BS-77461 10-in. 8/14/1933 398 Alberto Socarrás y Consuelo Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, saxophone, composer, director  
Victor BS-77462 10-in. 8/14/1933 Reparte las propinas Alberto Socarrás y Consuelo Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, saxophone, director  
Victor BS-77691 10-in. 9/20/1933 Consuelo Orquesta Alberto Socarrás Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, saxophone, composer, director, flute  
Victor BS-77692 10-in. 9/20/1933 La conga Orquesta Alberto Socarrás Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, saxophone, composer, director, flute  
Victor BS-77693 10-in. 9/20/1933 398 Orquesta Alberto Socarrás Jazz/dance band composer, director, instrumentalist, saxophone, flute  
Victor BS-77694 10-in. 9/20/1933 Reparte de propinas Orquesta Alberto Socarrás Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, saxophone, director, flute  
Victor BS-77699 10-in. 9/21/1933 Despierto holgazán Alberto Socarrás Clarinet solo, with instrumental trio instrumentalist, clarinet, composer  
Victor BS-77981 10-in. 9/21/1933 Goyo Orquesta Alberto Socarrás Instrumental quartet instrumentalist, clarinet, composer  
Victor BS-77982 10-in. 9/21/1933 Yoyo Orquesta Alberto Socarrás Instrumental quartet composer, instrumentalist, clarinet  
Victor BS-83594 10-in. 7/30/1934 Flauta y saxofón Trío Matamoros Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal duet lyricist, composer  
Victor D7XB-1783 10-in. 10/22/1947 Yo e'tá cansá Alberto Socarrás, su Flauta Mágica y su Orquesta Flute solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, flute, leader, composer  
Victor D7XB-1784 10-in. 10/22/1947 Pi-pi-ta-na Alberto Socarrás, su Flauta Mágica y su Orquesta Flute solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, flute, leader  
Victor D7XB-1785 10-in. 10/22/1947 Empieza el beguine Alberto Socarrás, su Flauta Mágica y su Orquesta Flute solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, flute, leader  
Victor D7XB-1786 10-in. 10/22/1947 Tu felicidad Alberto Socarrás, su Flauta Mágica y su Orquesta Flute solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, flute, leader  
Victor D7FB-2202 10-in. 11/19/1947 Murmullo Alberto Socarras, his Magic Flute and his Orchestra Flute solo, with jazz/dance band leader, instrumentalist, flute  
Victor D7FB-2203 10-in. 11/19/1947 Harlem rumba Alberto Socarras, his Magic Flute and his Orchestra Flute solo, with jazz/dance band leader, instrumentalist, flute, composer  
Victor D7FB-2204 10-in. 11/19/1947 Rumbita Alberto Socarras, his Magic Flute and his Orchestra Flute solo, with jazz/dance band leader, instrumentalist, flute, composer  
Victor D7FB-2205 10-in. 11/19/1947 Maria Elena Alberto Socarrás ; Alberto Socarrás Flute solo, with jazz/dance band leader, instrumentalist, flute  
Victor D9FB-0092 10-in. 1/12/1949 Si perdi tu amor Orquesta Alberto Socarrás ; Eladio Peguero Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band leader, instrumentalist, flute, saxophone  
Victor D9FB-0093 10-in. 1/12/1949 Dulce reina Orquesta Alberto Socarrás ; Eladio Peguero Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band leader, instrumentalist, flute, saxophone  
Victor D9FB-0094 10-in. 1/12/1949 Sin nombre Orquesta Alberto Socarrás ; Eladio Peguero Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band leader, instrumentalist, flute, saxophone, composer  
Victor D9FB-0095 10-in. 1/12/1949 Porque Orquesta Alberto Socarrás ; Eladio Peguero Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band leader, instrumentalist, flute, saxophone  
Columbia W146430 10-in. 6/12/1928 You're such a cruel papa to me Lizzie Miles Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with instrumental trio instrumentalist, flute, alto saxophone  
(Results 1-25 of 62 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Socarrás, Alberto," accessed April 18, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110509.

Socarrás, Alberto. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 18, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110509.

"Socarrás, Alberto." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 18 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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