NICHOLAS, ALBERT (AL
). Jazz clarinetist ( in New Orleans, Louisiana; in Basel, Switzerland). His uncle,
Joseph (Wooden Joe
) Nicholas
(1883-1957), was a clarinetist-cornetist and bandleader. He began playing clarinet when he was ten years old and studied the instrument with
Lorenzo Tio, Jr.
, when he was fourteen. About the same time he began playing professionally with local groups, including Buddy Petit, Manuel Perez, and Arnold Depass. During his service...