American jazz saxophonist and singer (1922–1997)
Big Nick Nicholas
Big Nick Nicholas at Keystone Korner, San Francisco, California, September 8, 1981
Birth name George Walker Nicholas Born (1922-08-02 ) August 2, 1922Lansing , MichiganOrigin Queens , New York, U.S.Died October 29, 1997(1997-10-29) (aged 75) Genres Jazz Occupation(s) Musician, singer Instrument Saxophone Years active 1940–1997 Labels India Navigation
Musical artist
George Walker "Big Nick" Nicholas (August 2, 1922 – October 29, 1997) was an American jazz saxophonist and singer.[ 1]
Career
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 .[ 2]
Nicholas contributed the 16-bar solo to Dizzy Gillespie 's classic African-Cuban jazz piece "Manteca" (1947).[ 1] Hot Lips Page , a working relationship that continued until 1954. He joined Buck Clayton in 1955.[ 3]
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 [ 4]
Nicholas died of heart failure in October 1997 at the age of 75.[ 2]
Discography
As leader
As sideman
1951 Trombone by Three , Bennie Green
1952 In Paris , Dizzy Gillespie
1952 Modern Jazz Trombone Series Vol. 2 , J.J. Johnson
1956 Jazz Spectacular , Buck Clayton
1956 Trombone by Three , Bennie Green/J.J. Johnson/Kai Winding
2001 1946–1950 , Hot Lips Page
2001 Manteca , Dizzy Gillespie
2002 Bebop Professor , Dizzy Gillespie
2002 Go Ahead and Blow , Bennie Green
2003 1944–1950: It's Magic , Sarah Vaughan
2005 Memories of You , Illinois Jacquet [ 5]
References
^ a b Ratliff, Ben (November 16, 1997), "Big Nick Nicholas, 75, Singer And Jazz-Band Saxophonist" , The New York Times , retrieved January 5, 2008 ^ a b Thedeadrockstarsclub.com - accessed November 9, 2011^ Feather, Leonard; Gitler, Ira (1999). "Nicholas, "Big Nick" (George Walker)". The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz . New York: Oxford University Press. p. 497. ^ arwulf, arwulf. "Big Nick Nicholas: Biography" . AllMusic . Retrieved June 25, 2024 . ^ "Big Nick Nicholas | Credits | AllMusic" . AllMusic . Retrieved 3 January 2017 .
International National Artists Other
