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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 51-75 of 355 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-25022 10-in. 3/23/1921 Step lively All Star Trio ; All Star Trio Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-25070 10-in. 5/3/1921 Just keep a thought for me All Star Trio ; All Star Trio Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-25071 10-in. 5/3/1921 I like it All Star Trio ; All Star Trio Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-25414 10-in. 5/26/1921 I'm nobody's baby All Star Trio ; All Star Trio Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-25415 10-in. 5/26/1921 Listening All Star Trio ; All Star Trio Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-25433 10-in. 6/9/1921 Vamping Rose All Star Trio ; All Star Trio Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-25434 10-in. 6/9/1921 Tea-cup girl All Star Trio ; All Star Trio Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-25453 10-in. 7/6/1921 Ilo All Star Trio ; All Star Trio Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-25454 10-in. 7/6/1921 Mimi All Star Trio ; All Star Trio Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-25477 10-in. 8/31/1921 I ain't nobody's darling All Star Trio ; All Star Trio Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-25478 10-in. 8/31/1921 Rosy cheeks All Star Trio ; All Star Trio Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-25617 10-in. 9/22/1921 Birds of a feather All Star Trio ; All Star Trio Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-25618 10-in. 9/22/1921 My sweet gal All Star Trio ; All Star Trio Orchestra Jazz/dance band songwriter, instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-25661 10-in. 10/20/1921 I'm laughing all the time All Star Trio ; All Star Trio Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone, composer  
Victor B-25662 10-in. 10/20/1921 Leave me with a smile All Star Trio ; All Star Trio Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-25691 10-in. 11/3/1921 Hand-painted doll All Star Trio ; All Star Trio Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer, instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-25882 10-in. 12/20/1921 Somewhere in Naples All Star Trio ; All Star Trio Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-25883 10-in. 12/20/1921 Lonesome land All Star Trio ; All Star Trio Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer, instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-26053 10-in. 1/26/1922 Hortense All Star Trio ; All Star Trio Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-26054 10-in. 1/26/1922 Never mind All Star Trio ; All Star Trio Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-26279 10-in. 3/29/1922 No use crying (If your sweetheart goes away) All Star Trio ; All Star Trio Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-26280 10-in. 3/29/1922 I'm happy All Star Trio ; All Star Trio Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer, instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-26605 10-in. 6/2/1922 Just because you're you (That's why I love you) All Star Trio ; All Star Trio Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-26686 10-in. 7/12/1922 The French trot All Star Trio ; All Star Trio Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Victor B-26687 10-in. 7/12/1922 After a while All Star Trio ; All Star Trio Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer, instrumentalist, xylophone  
(Results 51-75 of 355 records)

Citation

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

Green, George Hamilton. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 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 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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