# Albert Nicholas

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American jazz clarinet player (1900–1973)

For other people named Albert Nicholas, see [Albert Nicholas (disambiguation)](/source/Albert_Nicholas_(disambiguation)).

Albert Nicholas Nicholas in Jimmy Ryan's club, New York City, c. 1947. Image: William P. Gottlieb Background information Born (1900-05-27)May 27, 1900 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. Died September 3, 1973(1973-09-03) (aged 73) Basel, Switzerland Genres Jazz Occupation Musician Instrument Clarinet Years active 1910s–1973

Musical artist

**Albert Nicholas** (May 27, 1900 – September 3, 1973)[1] was an American [jazz](/source/Jazz) clarinet player, who was mostly based in Europe after 1953.

## Career

Nicholas's primary instrument was the [clarinet](/source/Clarinet), which he studied with [Lorenzo Tio](/source/Lorenzo_Tio) in his hometown of [New Orleans](/source/New_Orleans), [Louisiana](/source/Louisiana), United States.[1] Late in the 1910s, he played with [Buddy Petit](/source/Buddy_Petit), [King Oliver](/source/King_Oliver), and [Manuel Perez](/source/Manuel_Perez_(musician)).[1] He spent three years in the [Merchant Marines](/source/Merchant_Marines) and then joined Oliver in [Chicago](/source/Chicago) from 1925 to 1927.[1] After time in East Asia and Egypt, Nicholas returned to [New York City](/source/New_York_City) in 1928 and played with [Luis Russell](/source/Luis_Russell) until 1933,[1] playing there with [Red Allen](/source/Red_Allen), [Charlie Holmes](/source/Charlie_Holmes), and [J. C. Higginbotham](/source/J._C._Higginbotham). Later he played with [Chick Webb](/source/Chick_Webb), [Louis Armstrong](/source/Louis_Armstrong) (with Russell) and [Jelly Roll Morton](/source/Jelly_Roll_Morton).[1]

The [Dixieland jazz](/source/Dixieland_jazz) revival of the late 1940s reinvigorated his career; he played with [Art Hodes](/source/Art_Hodes), [Bunk Johnson](/source/Bunk_Johnson), and [Kid Ory](/source/Kid_Ory),[1] and had a regular gig with [Ralph Sutton](/source/Ralph_Sutton) in 1948.

In 1953, Nicholas moved to [Paris](/source/Paris), France;[2] except for recording sessions in the U.S. in 1959–60, he remained in Europe for most of the rest of his life.[1]

Nicholas died in [Basel](/source/Basel), Switzerland, in September 1973, at the age of 73.

## Discography

- *Albert Nicholas & Mezz Mezzrow* ([Jazztone](/source/Jazztone), 1956)

- *The Scobey Story Vol. 1* (Good Time Jazz, 1959)

- *Albert Nicholas with Art Hodes' All-Star Stompers* ([Delmark](/source/Delmark), 1964)

- *Albert's Blues* (77 Records, 1966)

- *Barney Bigard/Albert Nicholas* ([RCA](/source/RCA_Records), 1969)

- *A Tribute to Jelly Roll Morton* ([Storyville](/source/Storyville_Records), 1972)

- *Albert Nicholas and The Traditional Jazz Studio* ([Supraphon](/source/Supraphon), 1972)

- *Albert Nicholas with Alan Elsdon's Band Vol. 1* (Jazzology, 1995)

- *Albert Nicholas with Alan Elsdon's Band Vol. 2* (Jazzology, 1996)

- *Story 1926–1947* (EPM, 1998)

- *New Orleans Clarinet* (Sanctuary, 2006)

- *Albert Nicholas & Herb Hall* (GHB, 2015)

- *Albert Nicholas In Europe* (Upbeat URCD284)

- *As It Is When It Was* (2020)

## References

**Footnotes**

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-LarkinJazz_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-LarkinJazz_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-LarkinJazz_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-LarkinJazz_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-LarkinJazz_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-LarkinJazz_1-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-LarkinJazz_1-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-LarkinJazz_1-7) [Colin Larkin](/source/Colin_Larkin_(writer)), ed. (1992). *[The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz](/source/Encyclopedia_of_Popular_Music)* (First ed.). [Guinness Publishing](/source/Guinness_Publishing). p. 304. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-85112-580-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-85112-580-8).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-SyncopatedTimes_2-0)** [Yanow, Scott](/source/Scott_Yanow) (December 22, 2018). ["Albert Nicholas in Europe"](https://syncopatedtimes.com/albert-nichols-in-europe/). *The Syncopated Times*. Retrieved October 25, 2024.

**General references**

- [Scott Yanow](/source/Scott_Yanow), ["Albert Nicholas"](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p7233/biography) at [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Albert Nicholas](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Albert_Nicholas).

- ["Eccentric Stomp Albert Nicholas 1964"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48rv0wMq3u4) on [YouTube](/source/YouTube_video_(identifier)).

- ["Roger Richard talks to Albert Nicholas"](http://www.doctorjazz.co.uk/rogernich.html). Storyville.

- [Albert Nicholas (1900-1973)](https://syncopatedtimes.com/albert-nicholas-1900-1973/) at the Red Hot Jazz Archive

- William Russell, ["Albert Nicholas talks about Jelly Roll"](https://www.doctorjazz.co.uk/albertnw78.html). Published in *The Second Line* magazine, Winter 1978, Vol. XXX, pages 34—39.

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND FAST WorldCat National United States France BnF data Italy Czech Republic Spain Poland Israel Artists MusicBrainz Discography of American Historical Recordings People Trove Deutsche Biographie DDB Other IdRef SNAC Yale LUX

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