Albert Nicholas

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

Albert Nicholas (May 27, 1900 – September 3, 1973)^[1] was an American jazz clarinet player.

Career edit

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

The Dixieland jazz revival of the late 1940s reinvigorated his career; he played with Art Hodes, Bunk Johnson, and Kid Ory,^[1] and had a regular gig with Ralph Sutton in 1948. In 1953, he moved to France; except for recording sessions in the U.S. in 1959-60, he remained there for most of the rest of his life.^[1]

Nicholas died in Basel, Switzerland, in September 1973, at the age of 73.