Resource id #75
Image Source: Wikipedia

George Hamilton Green

George Hamilton Green Jr. (May 23, 1893 – September 11, 1970) was a xylophonist, composer, and cartoonist born in Omaha, Nebraska. He was born into a musical family, both his grandfather and his father being composers, arrangers, and conductors for bands in Omaha. His father was the conductor of an army band and growing up in his house, he had access to many musical instruments. From age four G.H. Green showed a prodigious talent as a pianist; he then took up the xylophone and by the age of eleven was being promoted as the “world’s greatest xylophonist” and was playing for crowds of 7,000-10,000. In 1915, when Green was 22 years old, a review in the United States Musician stated: "He has begun where every other xylophone player left off. His touch, his attack, his technique, and his powers of interpretation in the rendition of his solos being far different than other performers. To say his work is marvelous and wonderful would not fully express it." George Hamilton Green wrote several pieces for solo ragtime xylophone with accompaniment, as well as a xylophone method book which continues to be used by percussion pedagogues across the country. Some of his compositions for xylophone include: "Ragtime Robin", "Cross Corners", "Charleston Capers", "Rainbow Ripples", "Log Cabin Blues", "The Whistler", "Chromatic Fox Trot", and "Jovial Jasper" for piano and xylophone because of his experience on both instruments.

He was a popular recording artist starting in 1916 with the Edison Company and was employed, along with his two brothers, Joe and Lew Green, as the original sound music crew for Walt Disney's first three cartoons.

According to Nathaniel Shilkret, Green was not only a "wonderful xylophone artist," but an inventor. Shilkret said that Green designed the vibraharp at Shilkret's request.

Green was an important ragtime composer and authored many pieces that remain standards for the instrument even today. He retired from performing in the late 1940s to pursue a successful career in cartooning. Green would die in 1970, just a few years before a revival in the popularity of his ragtime xylophone music, and before his induction into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame in 1983 The rebirth of his music was led by members of the NEXUS Percussion Ensemble in the late 1970s. Through their efforts, G.H. Green's xylophone music has been preserved and remains a relevant part of contemporary percussion pedagogy and performance.

Birth and Death Data: Born May 23, 1893 (Omaha), Died 1970

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1916 - 1934

Roles Represented in DAHR: xylophone, composer, vibraphone, marimba, arranger, celeste, leader, percussion, bells, lyricist, songwriter, drums

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 355 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-22314 10-in. 9/20/1918 Just blue All Star Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-22315 10-in. 9/20/1918 Frivolity All Star Trio Instrumental trio composer, instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-22335 10-in. 12/3/1918 Sweet 'n' pretty All Star Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-22336 10-in. 12/3/1918 Ringtail blues All Star Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-22346 10-in. 12/16/1918 Rockin' the boat Joseph C. Smith's Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with xylophone solo instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-22358 10-in. 1/4/1919 I'll say she does All Star Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-22359 10-in. 1/4/1919 You're some pretty doll All Star Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-22973 10-in. 7/24/1919 Ev'rybody shimmies now All Star Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-22974 10-in. 7/24/1919 My Cairo love All Star Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-23203 10-in. 8/12/1919 Jerry All Star Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-23204 10-in. 8/12/1919 The alcoholic blues All Star Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-23257 10-in. 9/16/1919 Cuban serenade All Star Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-23258 10-in. 9/16/1919 Lucille All Star Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-23280 10-in. 9/30/1919 Keep movin' All Star Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, xylophone, composer  
Victor B-23281 10-in. 9/30/1919 Rajah All Star Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, xylophone, composer  
Victor B-23307 10-in. 10/22/1919 I want a daddy who will rock me to sleep All Star Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-23308 10-in. 10/22/1919 All the Quakers are shoulder shakers All Star Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-23326 10-in. 11/5/1919 Fluffy ruffles All Star Trio Instrumental trio composer, instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-23357 10-in. 11/25/1919 You'd be surprised All Star Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-23358 10-in. 11/25/1919 Poor little Butterfly is a fly gal now All Star Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-23632 10-in. 1/14/1920 Venetian moon All Star Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-23633 10-in. 1/14/1920 Hy'n dri All Star Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-23645 10-in. 1/26/1920 Swanee All Star Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-23646 10-in. 1/26/1920 All star All Star Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, xylophone, composer  
Victor B-23699 10-in. 2/24/1920 You ain't heard nothing yet All Star Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, xylophone  
(Results 1-25 of 355 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Green, George Hamilton," accessed March 19, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104861.

Green, George Hamilton. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 19, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104861.

"Green, George Hamilton." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 19 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104861

Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

Feedback

Send the Editors a message about this record.