Alcide Nunez
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| Alcide Nunez | |
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 Portrait of Alcide Nunez, 1918 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alcide Patrick Nunez |
| Born | March 17, 1884 St.Bernard Parish, Louisiana |
| Origin | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Died | September 2, 1934 (aged 50) |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupations | Clarinetist |
| Instruments | Clarinet |
| Years active | 1902–1934 |
Alcide Patrick Nunez (March 17, 1884 – September 2, 1934), also known as Yellow Nunez and Al Nunez, was an early white American jazz clarinetist. He was also one of the first musicians of New Orleans who made numerous audio recordings and he was announced by Pee Wee Russell as the greatest jazz clarinetist of the world.
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[edit] Biography
Alcide Patrick Nunez was born in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. His parents were Victor Nunez and Elisa Nunez Chalaire and were of Isleño and French descent respectively. The family moved to New Orleans when he was a child.
He grew up among the Marigny and Bywater the district of New Orleans. He initially played guitar, then switched to clarinet about 1902. He soon became one of the top hot clarinetists in the city. Already since, al least, 1905 he was a regular in Papa Jack Laine's band, in addition to playing with Tom Brown (trombonist) and sometimes leading bands of his own. Alcidez could play several instruments, but mainly played the clarinet. In addition, he was able to improvise variations on the songs he heard. However, although with eventually he was becoming increasingly popular in New Orleans, until be regarded as a prominent musician in the city since 1910, Nunez worked for a while driving a chariot drawn by mules, in which he carried to his fellow musician Abraham Martin, who was called "Chinese".
In early 1916 he went north to Chicago with Stein's Dixie Jass Band, which was to become famous as the Original Dixieland Jass Band, but Nunez left the band shortly before they made their first recordings.[1] In 1917 the Dixieland Jass band achieved great success with the song "Livery Stable Blues". However, Nunez went to purchase the arrangements for the song "Livery Stable Blues," but discovered that the song had no copyright ', so that the musician decided to copyright credited himself and Ray Lopez. Because of this lack, Nick La Rocca and the band sued to Nunez for $ 10,000. At the end the judge denied that any group of people could have the copyright of the song.[2]
After some time playing with Tom Brown's band in Chicago, he went to New York City with Bert Kelly's band.[1]Pee Wee Russell announced in Chicago and New York that Nunez was the greatest jazz clarinetist of the world. Nunez be become the band leader of Bert Kelly.[2] At this time, at the start of 1919 he helped form the band the Louisiana Five led by drummer Anton Lada. They quickly became one of the most popular bands in New York at the time and recorded for several record labels. In early 1920 Núñez worked with the New York dance band of Harry Yerkes and more late, but in the same year, Nunez returned temporarily to the Louisiana Five, for make with them a two-month tour of Europe and the United States.
In 1922 he returned to Chicago to lead the house band at Kelly's Stables, one of the city's top nightclubs and played with the band of Willard Robison. After Bert Kelly replaced him with Johnny Dodds. However, Nuñez began to lose his teeth, so he was almost unable to play his clarinet with wich had worked on most of the bands in which he participated. Therefore he returned with his family to New Orleans, where he get a denture and returned to played with various bands in addition to his day job with the police department until his death.
He died in September 2, 1934 because of a heart attack.[1]
[edit] Personal life
He married in 3 times and he had one child with the 2nd wife and others three with the 3rd. For a time 1921, he settled in Baltimore, where he bought a large house.[1]
[edit] Legacy
Robert Nunez is the great grandson of Alcide "Yellow" Nunez and is also the principal tubist with the Louisiana Philharmonic of New Orleans.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d http://www.hurricanebrassband.nl/Musician%20alcide%20nunez.htm Alcide Nunez. Retrieved december 22, 2011, to 2:24 am.
- ^ a b http://www.redhotjazz.com/yellow.html Yellow Nuñez (1884 - 1934)
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Alcide Nunez |
- Alcide "Yellow" Nunez extensive multi-page biography.
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