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part to create his famous clarinet solo. This became a local standard part, and no younger New
Orleans clarinetist was considered proficient until he could play a duplication of Picou's part. Unusually in a music that values
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He often played on an unusual Albert Penzel-Mueler alto clarinet with the horn bent upwards instead of straight ahead. It can be seen on several photos of Picou and is displayed at the
Historic New Orleans Collection.
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with the Creole section's Lyre Club
Symphony Orchestra. He also played with various dance bands and brass bands, including those of Bouboul Fortunea Augustat, Bouboul Valentin, Oscar DuConge,
492:, it became a set piece. Commonly, later clarinetists would solo once through reproducing or sticking close to Picou's solo, and then do their own improvisations on a second solo.
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and others. The light-skinned Picou, with majority
European ancestry, sometimes worked with white bands as well in his youth, including at least on occasion with
277:, United States. His parents were Alfred Picou and Clotilde (Serpas) Picou, who also had other children: Cecilia, Willie, Feriol, Joseph, and Philomene Picou.
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Picou was one of the early musicians playing in the new style that was developing in the city, not yet known as "jazz". He sometimes played in the band of
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in 1961, was one of the largest the city had seen, with several brass bands and many additional musicians playing Picou a sendoff. Though Picou was a
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commissioned Picou to write new tunes for his band. Picou's compositions include "Alligator Hop", and "Olympia Rag".
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in the early 1920s), but said he did not like life up North. He spent most of his career in his home city.
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feel. His subtle variations are usually more melodic embellishments than what would later be called
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Picou is perhaps best known for originating the clarinet part on the standard "
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By the age of 16, he was working as a professional musician on both the
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Alphonse Picou at least once followed fellow musicians up north to
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Alphonse Picou was born into a prosperous middle-class
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654:"New Orleans Bid Goodbye to Alphonse Picou"
581:The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music
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503:about 1917–1918 (and possibly briefly to
375:Learn how and when to remove this message
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
141:. Photographed in New Orleans, 1950, by
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536:broadcasts) and leading his own group.
456:Many younger clarinetists, including
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313:adding citations to reliable sources
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16:African American jazz clarinetist
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688:Jazz musicians from New Orleans
532:'s Band (with whom he also did
300:needs additional citations for
34:needs additional citations for
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708:Excelsior Brass Band members
628:"Alphonse Picou (1878–1961)"
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738:Imperial Orchestra members
733:Camelia Brass Band members
728:African-American Catholics
723:Olympia Brass Band members
693:American jazz clarinetists
137:Picou (background) behind
718:Tuxedo Brass Band members
713:Olympia Orchestra members
612:Berendt, Joachim (1976).
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399:, including putting the
261:Early life and education
244:Alphonse Floristan Picou
161:Alphonse Floristan Picou
698:Louisiana Creole people
660:. May 1961. p. 58.
703:Dixieland clarinetists
616:. Paladin. p. 53.
255:New Orleans, Louisiana
151:Background information
440:racial discrimination
632:Red Hot Jazz Archive
520:, Picou returned to
444:U.S. Southern States
428:Excelsior Brass Band
309:improve this article
43:improve this article
586:Guinness Publishing
403:sheeting on church
269:family in downtown
584:(First ed.).
541:funeral procession
432:Olympia Brass Band
511:"King" Joe Oliver
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588:. p. 1956.
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518:Great Depression
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324:"Alphonse Picou"
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634:. August 2020
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32:This article
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636:. Retrieved
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477:High Society
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462:Jimmie Noone
458:Johnny Dodds
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451:Buddy Bolden
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424:Bunk Johnson
416:Manuel Perez
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307:Please help
302:verification
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195:(1961-02-04)
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99:January 2010
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41:Please help
36:verification
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683:1961 deaths
678:1878 births
516:During the
365:August 2023
271:New Orleans
251:clarinetist
224:Clarinetist
200:New Orleans
179:New Orleans
672:Categories
551:References
410:He played
335:newspapers
229:Instrument
221:Occupation
172:1878-10-19
157:Birth name
69:newspapers
275:Louisiana
204:Louisiana
183:Louisiana
638:1 August
545:Catholic
539:Picou's
405:steeples
397:tinsmith
393:clarinet
233:Clarinet
501:Chicago
485:piccolo
442:in the
349:scholar
83:scholar
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430:, the
426:, the
401:copper
389:guitar
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281:Career
211:Genres
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658:Ebony
534:radio
528:with
466:raggy
356:JSTOR
342:books
90:JSTOR
76:books
640:2020
590:ISBN
460:and
391:and
328:news
248:jazz
215:Jazz
190:Died
166:Born
62:news
311:by
45:by
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