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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 301-325 of 355 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Edison 6894 10-in. 7/31/1919 Cleo All Star Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, xylophone  
Edison 6983 10-in. 10/16/1919 Triplets George Hamilton Green Xylophone solo, with orchestra composer, instrumentalist, xylophone  
Edison 6984 10-in. 10/17/1919 In Siam All Star Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, xylophone  
Edison 7094 10-in. 1/8/1920 Someday down in Carolin' All Star Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, xylophone, composer  
Edison 7095 10-in. 1/8/1920 Just like the rose All Star Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, xylophone  
Edison 7096 10-in. 1/8/1920 When my baby smiles All Star Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, xylophone  
Edison 7223 10-in. 3/17/1920 Alabama moon George Hamilton Green ; Gladys Rice Female vocal solo, with xylophone obbligato composer, lyricist, instrumentalist, xylophone  
Edison 7354 10-in. 5/18/1920 Stop it! Green Brothers' Novelty Band Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Edison 7522 10-in. 9/14/1920 Sudan Green Brothers' Novelty Band Jazz/dance band leader  
Edison 7542 10-in. 9/22/1920 American pep march Imperial Marimba Band Band composer  
Edison 7733 10-in. 1/11/1921 Arabia Green Brothers' Novelty Band Jazz/dance band composer  
Edison 8919 10-in. 4/11/1923 Starlight Bay Green Brothers' Novelty Band Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Edison 8920 10-in. 4/11/1923 Hotsy totsy town Green Brothers' Novelty Band Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Edison 8988 10-in. 5/18/1923 Benny! Be yourself! Green Brothers' Novelty Band Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Edison 8989 10-in. 5/18/1923 Yes! We have no bananas Green Brothers' Novelty Band Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, xylophone  
Edison 9091 10-in. 7/24/1923 Last night on the back porch (I loved her best of all) Green Brothers' Novelty Band Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Edison 9092 10-in. 7/24/1923 Polly-olly-oo (Said the parrot to the cuckoo) Green Brothers' Novelty Band Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Edison 9239 10-in. 11/7/1923 You better keep babying baby (Or baby's gonna bye-bye you) Green Brothers' Novelty Band Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Edison 9321 10-in. 1/4/1924 I'm somebody nobody loves Green Brothers' Novelty Band Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Edison 9417 10-in. 3/12/1924 New Orleans wiggle Green Brothers' Novelty Band Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Edison 9418 10-in. 3/12/1924 Glad Green Brothers' Novelty Band Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Edison 9641 10-in. 7/24/1924 I don't know why Green Brothers' Novelty Band Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Edison 9646 10-in. 7/28/1924 Save a kiss for rainy weather Green Brothers' Novelty Band Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Edison 9655 10-in. 8/2/1924 She loves me Green Brothers' Novelty Band ; Billy Jones Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, xylophone  
Edison 9656 10-in. 8/2/1924 Go, Emmaline Vernon Dalhart ; Green Brothers' Novelty Band Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, xylophone  
(Results 301-325 of 355 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Green, George Hamilton," accessed April 25, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104861.

Green, George Hamilton. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 25, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104861.

"Green, George Hamilton." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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