Eugen José Wolff, born on February 19, 1901, in Hamm, Westphalia, and deceased on November 7, 1961, in Berlin, was a notable German violinist and orchestra leader. He was active in the swing and dance music scenes during the 1930s and early 1940s. Wolff studied violin in Bochum and Antwerp and began performing concerts at the age of eleven. By the mid-1920s, he was leading small dance bands in venues such as the Hotel Astoria in Leipzig, Munich, and the Faun in Hamburg.

In the late 1920s, Wolff adopted the name José Wolff during the rumba craze. His career took him to Berlin in 1929, where he performed at the Haus Imperator. By 1930, he had formed a septet called the Jazz-Solisten-Kapelle, which he later expanded to a big band known as the "12 Jazz-Kanonen." This ensemble toured extensively, including performances in Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Austria.

Wolff's orchestra was a fixture at Berlin's Eden Hotel in 1934/35 and later at the Hotel Esplanade from 1937. He recorded numerous popular songs and film melodies for Odeon, featuring collaborations with artists like Zarah Leander and Gustav Lutzey. His orchestra included notable musicians such as Willy Berking and Detlev Lais.

During World War II, Wolff was involved in troop entertainment, where he met his future wife, singer Marlene Mathan. They recorded together in 1942. Wolff was conscripted in 1943 and spent time as a prisoner of war in the Soviet Union. Upon his return to Berlin in 1949, he re-established his orchestra and resumed recording, although changing musical tastes and unsuccessful negotiations for further recordings led to his retirement from the music industry in 1954.

Eugen Wolff's contributions to the dance and swing music of his era, despite facing the challenges of the time, remain recognized by music historians.