Wooden Joe Nicholas
Encyclopedia
Wooden Joe Nicholas was an American jazz
trumpeter and cornet
ist, active on the early New Orleans jazz
scene. He was born in New Orleans.
Nicholas began playing professionally on clarinet, and continued occasionally doubling on it in later years after he had mostly switched to cornet. Nicholas knew Buddy Bolden
and said Bolden was the main influence on his cornet style, but did not begin playing cornet until he 1915 when he was playing clarinet with King Oliver and started playing around with Oliver's cornet while Oliver was on break.
He lived nearly his entire life in New Orleans, and played in many brass band
s and street ensembles in the city for decades, in addition to forming the Camelia Brass Band
in 1918. He was famed for his volume and his endurance, though these are not evident on most of his recordings (a notable exception being his driving version of "Shake It and Break It", American Music Records
MX 800). Nicholas did not record until 1945, when he was 62 years old, and by that time he was far past his prime. He recorded again in 1949 as a leader, in addition to playing with Raymond Burke
.
Nicholas died in New Orleans in November 1957. He was the uncle of clarinetist Albert Nicholas
.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
trumpeter and cornet
Cornet
The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...
ist, active on the early New Orleans jazz
New Orleans Jazz
New Orleans Jazz may refer to:*Dixieland, a style of jazz music*New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park*Utah Jazz, a professional National Basketball Association franchise that was previously based in New Orleans and known as the New Orleans Jazz, in recognition of the jazz music of New Orleans*A...
scene. He was born in New Orleans.
Nicholas began playing professionally on clarinet, and continued occasionally doubling on it in later years after he had mostly switched to cornet. Nicholas knew Buddy Bolden
Buddy Bolden
Charles "Buddy" Bolden was an African American cornetist and is regarded by contemporaries as a key figure in the development of a New Orleans style of rag-time music which later came to be known as jazz.- Life :...
and said Bolden was the main influence on his cornet style, but did not begin playing cornet until he 1915 when he was playing clarinet with King Oliver and started playing around with Oliver's cornet while Oliver was on break.
He lived nearly his entire life in New Orleans, and played in many brass band
Brass band
A brass band is a musical ensemble generally consisting entirely of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands , but are usually more correctly termed military bands, concert...
s and street ensembles in the city for decades, in addition to forming the Camelia Brass Band
Camelia Brass Band
The Camelia Brass Band was a brass band from New Orleans, founded by Wooden Joe Nicholas around 1917 or 1918....
in 1918. He was famed for his volume and his endurance, though these are not evident on most of his recordings (a notable exception being his driving version of "Shake It and Break It", American Music Records
American Music Records
American Music Records is a United States-based record label specializing in traditional New Orleans jazz.The label was founded by William Russell in 1944, who ran the label almost entirely by himself for most of his life...
MX 800). Nicholas did not record until 1945, when he was 62 years old, and by that time he was far past his prime. He recorded again in 1949 as a leader, in addition to playing with Raymond Burke
Raymond Burke (clarinetist)
Raymond Burke was a U.S. jazz clarinetist.Burke was born as Raymond Barrios in New Orleans, Louisiana. He seldom left the city limits, as he disliked traveling...
.
Nicholas died in New Orleans in November 1957. He was the uncle of clarinetist Albert Nicholas
Albert Nicholas
Albert Nicholas was an American jazz reed player.Nicholas's primary instrument was the clarinet, which he studied with Lorenzo Tio in his hometown of New Orleans. Late in the 1910s he played with Buddy Petit, King Oliver, and Manuel Perez...
.