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Big Nick Nicholas
George Walker "Big Nick" Nicholas (August 2, 1922 – October 29, 1997) was an American jazz saxophonist and singer. Strongly influenced by his hero, Coleman Hawkins, Nicholas in turn influenced a young John Coltrane to compose his tribute "Big Nick", included on the 1962 album Duke Ellington & John Coltrane. Nicholas contributed the 16-bar solo to Dizzy Gillespie's classic African-Cuban jazz piece "Manteca" (1947). At that time, he also started playing with Hot Lips Page, a working relationship that continued until 1954. He joined Buck Clayton in 1955. Nicholas started playing with Hank and Thad Jones, Earl Hines, and Tiny Bradshaw before going into the army and, on being discharged in the late 1940s, he worked with bands led by Sabby Lewis, J. C. Heard, and Lucky Millinder. He went on to play with Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Charlie Parker, and Charlie Mingus. Nicholas died of heart failure in October 1997 at the age of 75. |
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= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Decca | 73395 | 2/26/1946 | How big can you get | Lucky Millinder Orchestra | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |||
Decca | 73396 | 2/26/1946 | More, more, more | Lucky Millinder Orchestra | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |||
Decca | 73397 | 2/26/1946 | There's good blues tonight | Lucky Millinder Orchestra | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |||
Decca | 73398 | 2/26/1946 | Shorty's got to go | Lucky Millinder Orchestra | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |||
Decca | 73399 | 2/26/1946 | Chittlin' switch | Lucky Millinder Orchestra | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |||
Decca | 73561 | 5/10/1946 | Fare Thee well Deacon Jones | Lucky Millinder Orchestra | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |||
Decca | 73861 | 4/11/1947 | You can't put out a fire | Lucky Millinder Orchestra | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |||
Decca | 73862 | 4/11/1947 | The spider and the fly | Lucky Millinder Orchestra | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |||
Decca | 73863 | 4/11/1947 | Let it roll | Lucky Millinder Orchestra | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |||
Decca | 73864 | 4/11/1947 | Begging for love | Lucky Millinder Orchestra | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |||
Decca | 74786 | 3/2/1949 | Milk cow blues | Cozy Cole Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |||
Decca | 74787 | 3/2/1949 | Until I fell for you | Cozy Cole Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |||
Decca | 74788 | 3/2/1949 | The hucklebuck | Cozy Cole Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |||
Decca | 74789 | 3/2/1949 | Red light | Cozy Cole Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Nicholas, Big Nick," accessed September 9, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/207265.
Nicholas, Big Nick. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved September 9, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/207265.
"Nicholas, Big Nick." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 9 September 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: George "Big Nick" Nicholas
Discogs: Big Nick Nicholas
Grove: Big Nick Nicholas
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Nicholas, Big Nick, 1922-1997 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n94066151
Wikidata: George "Big Nick" Nicholas - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q432035
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/7574844
MusicBrainz: George "Big Nick" Nicholas - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/43821ad7-981e-4167-961e-bad1110c3e30
ISNI: 0000 0000 4261 1214 - http://www.isni.org/isni/0000000042611214
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