Enrique Alessio

Enrique Alessio was born on 8 January 1918 ^[2]. His recorded career, as summarised in a biography, began in 1935 in a bandoneon trio with Manuel Daponte and Luis Bonnat ^[1].

Alessio played bandoneon at the debut of Osvaldo Pugliese's orchestra at Café El Nacional on Corrientes on 11 August 1939, and he recorded with Pugliese for Odeon ^[1]. He later worked as an arranger and director for the orchestras of Alberto Castillo and Alberto Marino, led his own orchestra on four Odeon sides in 1949, and joined Juan D'Arienzo as first bandoneon and arranger in 1950 ^[1].

As a composer, he wrote Un tango para mi vieja and the instrumental Julie, which Pugliese recorded in 1959 ^[1]. He received the Mérito Ciudadano distinction from the Buenos Aires city council in 1999 and died in 2000 in Mar del Plata, where he had recently settled ^[1].

History

### Early career

Alessio started out in 1935 in a bandoneon trio with Manuel Daponte and Luis Bonnat ^[1].

### With Osvaldo Pugliese

On 11 August 1939, Alessio played bandoneon at the debut of Osvaldo Pugliese's orchestra at Café El Nacional on Corrientes ^[1]. He stayed with Pugliese into the 1940s and recorded with him for Odeon; a biography dates these recordings to 1943 ^[1]. The biography records under 1944 that Alessio left Pugliese at the end of the year to arrange for and direct Alberto Castillo's orchestra ^[1].

### Director and arranger

In 1948 Alessio replaced Emilio Balcarce at the head of Alberto Marino's orchestra, and with that orchestra he recorded Mano cruel ^[1]. In 1949 he recorded four sides for Odeon with his own orchestra ^[1].

### With Juan D'Arienzo

In 1950 Alessio joined Juan D'Arienzo's orchestra as first bandoneon and arranger ^[1]. D'Arienzo's orchestra made its recorded debut with Alessio's work through his own composition Un tango para mi vieja ^[1].

### Later years

In 1999 Alessio received the Mérito Ciudadano distinction from the Buenos Aires city council ^[1]. He died in 2000 in Mar del Plata, where he had recently settled ^[1].

Recordings

The biography lists the following recordings involving Alessio ^[1]:

- 1943, with Osvaldo Pugliese for Odeon: Recuerdo, Mala junta and Amurado ^[1]. - 1948, as director of Alberto Marino's orchestra: Mano cruel ^[1]. - 1949, with his own orchestra for Odeon: four sides, among them Tiny ^[1]. - 1950, with Juan D'Arienzo: his own Un tango para mi vieja, his recorded debut with that orchestra ^[1].

Repertoire

Alessio composed Un tango para mi vieja, which he recorded with Juan D'Arienzo's orchestra in 1950 ^[1]. He also wrote the instrumental Julie, which Osvaldo Pugliese recorded in 1959 ^[1].