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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 251-275 of 355 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Brunswick E16940-E16942 10-in. 11/23/1925 Honeymoon waltz Castlewood Marimba Band Marimba band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick E17373-E17375 10-in. 1/7/1926 Who’s with you tonight Castlewood Marimba Band Marimba band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick E17376-E17377 10-in. 1/7/1926 Isle of enchantment Castlewood Marimba Band Marimba band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick E17575-E17578 10-in. 1/20/1926 I’m tired of being alone Tadeo Vicente Brazilian Marimba Band Marimba band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick E17579-E17581 10-in. 1/20/1926 In your arms (Waltz) Tadeo Vicente Brazilian Marimba Band Marimba band instrumentalist, xylophone, songwriter  
Brunswick E18338-E18340 10-in. 3/10/1926 The St. Louis blues George Hamilton Green Xylophone solo, with piano instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick E18341-E18343 10-in. 3/10/1926 Yellow Dog blues George Hamilton Green Xylophone solo, with piano instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick XE19834-XE19836 12-in. 7/20/1926 The merrymakers in Spain The Merrymakers Male vocal quartet, with mixed vocal ensemble and orchestra instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick XE19850-XE19852 12-in. 7/21/1926 The merrymakers in Hawaii The Merrymakers Male vocal quartet, with mixed vocal ensemble and orchestra instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick E20071-E20072 10-in. 9/9/1926 Thinking Tadeo Vicente Brazilian Marimba Band Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick E20073-E20074 10-in. 9/9/1926 I wish you were jealous of me Tadeo Vicente Brazilian Marimba Band Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick E20186-E20187 10-in. 9/17/1926 Thinking Tadeo Vicente Brazilian Marimba Band Marimba band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick E20188-E20189 10-in. 9/17/1926 I wish you were jealous of me Tadeo Vicente Brazilian Marimba Band Marimba band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick E20943-E20944 10-in. 12/14/1926 My sweetheart Castlewood Marimba Band Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick E20945-E20946 10-in. 12/14/1926 Still waters Castlewood Marimba Band Marimba band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick E21407-E21408 10-in. 2/2/1927 Monastery bells (Waltz) Castlewood Marimba Band Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick E21409-E21411 10-in. 2/2/1927 Silver sands of love (Waltz) Castlewood Marimba Band Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick LAE511 10-in. 5/22/1929 I’m that way about baby Earl Burtnett Biltmore Trio Male vocal trio, with clarinet and string ensemble composer  
Brunswick 326W-328W 10-in. 2/4/1925 When you and I were seventeen Marimba Band [Brunswick Records] Marimba band instrumentalist, percussion  
Brunswick 329W-331W 10-in. 2/4/1925 While Hawaiian stars are gleaming Marimba Band [Brunswick Records] Marimba band instrumentalist, percussion  
Brunswick 832W-834W 10-in. 5/21/1925 June brought the roses Miami Marimba Band [Castlewood Marimba Band] Marimba band instrumentalist, marimba  
Brunswick 835W-837W 10-in. 5/21/1925 The melody that made you mine Miami Marimba Band [Castlewood Marimba Band] Marimba band instrumentalist, marimba  
Brunswick 906W-908W 10-in. 6/20/1925 Prisoner's song Marimba Band [Brunswick Records] Marimba band instrumentalist, marimba  
Brunswick 909W-911W 10-in. 6/20/1925 Sometime Marimba Band [Brunswick Records] Marimba band instrumentalist, marimba  
Brunswick 967W-969W 10-in. 6/27/1925 Dreamy Carolina moon Irving Kaufman ; Miami Marimba Band [Castlewood Marimba Band] Marimba band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, marimba  
(Results 251-275 of 355 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Green, George Hamilton," accessed May 3, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104861.

Green, George Hamilton. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 3, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104861.

"Green, George Hamilton." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 3 May 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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