Wooden Joe Nicholas

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Wooden Joe Nicholas (September 23, 1883 – November 17, 1957) was an American jazz trumpeter and cornetist from New Orleans. He began on clarinet and later mostly played cornet. He said Buddy Bolden was his main influence on his cornet style, and he started playing cornet in 1915 while with King Oliver, using Oliver’s cornet during breaks. He spent nearly all his life in New Orleans, playing in brass bands and street groups, and he formed the Camelia Brass Band in 1918. He was known for his loud playing and stamina, though these qualities are not easy to hear on most recordings; a notable exception is his driving version of "Shake It and Break It" on American Music Records MX 800. He did not record until 1945, at age 62, and he recorded again in 1949 as a leader, in addition to playing with Raymond Burke. He died in New Orleans in 1957. He was the uncle of clarinetist Albert Nicholas.