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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 226-250 of 355 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Brunswick 8109-8110 10-in. approximately May 1922 A bunch of roses George Hamilton Green Xylophone solo, with orchestra instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick 8275-8276 10-in. approximately June 1922 General Boulanger march George Hamilton Green Bells solo, with orchestra instrumentalist, bells  
Brunswick 13884-13886 10-in. 10/7/1924 Waiting for the dawn and you Allen McQuhae Male vocal solo, with orchestra instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick 13889-13890 10-in. 10/7/1924 Where the rainbow ends Allen McQuhae Male vocal solo, with orchestra instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick 14749-14751 10-in. 1/29/1925 Let me call you sweetheart Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with orchestra instrumentalist, vibraphone  
Brunswick 14799-14801 10-in. 2/4/1925 Triplets George Hamilton Green Xylophone solo, with piano instrumentalist, xylophone, composer  
Brunswick 14802-14805 10-in. 2/4/1925 Log cabin blues George Hamilton Green Xylophone solo, with piano instrumentalist, xylophone, composer  
Brunswick 14853-14855 10-in. 2/7/1925 Hawaiian ripples Castlewood Marimba Band Marimba band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick 14917-14920 10-in. 2/14/1925 The whistler George Hamilton Green Xylophone solo, with piano instrumentalist, xylophone, composer  
Brunswick 14921-14924 10-in. 2/14/1925 Triplets George Hamilton Green Xylophone solo, with piano instrumentalist, xylophone, composer  
Brunswick E1744-E1746 10-in. 11/17/1925 Meet me tonight in Dreamland Miami Marimba Band [Castlewood Marimba Band] Marimba band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick E1803-E1804 10-in. 11/23/1925 I'd love to live in Loveland with a girl like you Castlewood Marimba Band Marimba band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick E2068-E2070 10-in. 1/7/1926 Someone to love Castlewood Marimba Band Marimba band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick E3355-E3357 10-in. 7/1/1926 Ting-a-ling Meximarimba Band Marimba band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick E3358-E3360 10-in. 7/1/1926 Am I wasting my time on you? Meximarimba Band Marimba band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick E3423-E3425 10-in. 7/15/1926 Kentucky lullaby Meximarimba Band Marimba band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick E3426-E3428 10-in. 7/15/1926 Cheritza Meximarimba Band Marimba band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick E3652-E3653 10-in. 8/31/1926 Trail of dreams Miami Marimba Band Marimba band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick E3654-E3655 10-in. 8/31/1926 My Hawaiian serenade Miami Marimba Band Marimba band, with male vocal duet instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick E3746-E3747 10-in. 9/9/1926 Blame it on the waltz Miami Marimba Band Marimba band, with male vocal trio instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick E3748-E3749 10-in. 9/9/1926 In a little Spanish town ('Twas on a night like this) Miami Marimba Band Marimba band, with male vocal trio instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick E3860-E3861 10-in. 9/28/1926 Blame it on the waltz Miami Marimba Band Marimba band, with male vocal trio instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick E3862-E3863 10-in. 9/28/1926 In a little Spanish town ('Twas on a night like this) Castlewood Marimba Band Marimba band, with male vocal trio instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick E16372-E16374 10-in. 9/11/1925 Garland of old-fashioned roses Castlewood Marimba Band Marimba band instrumentalist, xylophone  
Brunswick E16899-E16901 10-in. 11/14/1925 Carolina sweetheart Castlewood Marimba Band Marimba band instrumentalist, xylophone  
(Results 226-250 of 355 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Green, George Hamilton," accessed October 31, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/104861.

Green, George Hamilton. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/104861.

"Green, George Hamilton." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 31 October 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/104861

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