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 101-125 of 355 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BVE-57540 | 10-in. | 11/14/1929 | Daddy's lullaby | Hilo Hawaiian Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo (Hawaiian) | instrumentalist, marimba | |
Victor | BVE-62740 | 10-in. | 6/23/1930 | Somewhere in old Wyoming | Green Brothers Marimba Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, marimba | |
Victor | BVE-62741 | 10-in. | 6/23/1930 | Lo-lo | Green Brothers Marimba Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, marimba | |
Victor | CS-75792 | 12-in. | 4/12/1933 | Goin' home | Green Brothers | Instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, percussion | |
Victor | CS-75793 | 12-in. | 4/12/1933 | Elegie | Green Brothers | Instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, percussion | |
Victor | CS-75794 | 12-in. | 4/12/1933 | The swan | Green Brothers | Instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, percussion | |
Victor | CS-75795 | 12-in. | 4/12/1933 | Beautiful Isle of Somewhere | Green Brothers | Instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, percussion | |
Victor | LBS-78170 | 10-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | 10/12/1933 | In the sweet bye and bye | Green Brothers | Instrumental trio | instrumentalist, celeste | |
Victor | LBS-78171 | 10-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | 10/12/1933 | The bells of St. Mary's | Green Brothers | Instrumental trio | instrumentalist, celeste | |
Victor | LBS-78172 | 10-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | 10/12/1933 | Face to face | Green Brothers | Instrumental trio | instrumentalist, celeste | |
Victor | LBS-78173 | 10-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | 10/12/1933 | One sweetly solemn thought | Green Brothers | Celeste, chimes, and vibraphone ("Deagan vibra-harp") | arranger, instrumentalist, celeste | |
Victor | LBS-78243 | 10-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | 10/19/1933 | No night there | Green Brothers | Instrumental trio | instrumentalist, celeste, arranger | |
Victor | LBS-78244 | 10-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | 10/19/1933 | Just as I am | Green Brothers | Celeste, chimes, and vibraphone trio | instrumentalist, celeste | |
Victor | LBS-78245 | 10-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | 10/19/1933 | God be with you till we meet again | Green Brothers | Instrumental trio | instrumentalist, celeste | |
Victor | LBS-81045 | 10-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | 1/11/1934 | No night there | Green Brothers | Vibraphone ("Deagan vibra-harp") and chimes duet | arranger, instrumentalist, vibraphone | |
Victor | LBS-81046 | 10-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | 1/11/1934 | In the sweet bye and bye | Green Brothers | Vibraphone ("Deagan vibra-harp") and chimes duet | instrumentalist, vibraphone, arranger | |
Victor | LBS-81099 | 10-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | 1/24/1934 | The bells of Saint Mary's | Green Brothers | Vibraphone ("Deagan vibra-harp") and chimes duet | arranger, instrumentalist, vibraphone | |
Victor | LBS-81124 | 10-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | 12/29/1933 | God be with you till we meet again | Green Brothers | Vibraphone ("Deagan vibra-harp") and chimes duet | arranger, instrumentalist, vibraphone | |
Victor | LBS-81125 | 10-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | 12/29/1933 | Face to face | Green Brothers | Vibraphone ("Deagan vibra-harp") and chimes duet | arranger, instrumentalist, vibraphone | |
Victor | CS-81308 | 12-in. | 1/25/1934 | The swan | Green Brothers | Vibraphone ("Deagan vibra-harp") and chimes duet | instrumentalist, vibraphone, arranger | |
Victor | CS-81309 | 12-in. | 1/25/1934 | Goin' home | Green Brothers | Vibraphone ("Deagan vibra-harp") and chimes duet | arranger, instrumentalist, vibraphone | |
Victor | CS-81310 | 12-in. | 1/25/1934 | Elegie | Green Brothers | Vibraphone ("Deagan vibra-harp") and chimes duet | arranger, instrumentalist, vibraphone | |
Victor | CS-81311 | 12-in. | 1/25/1934 | Beautiful Isle of Somewhere | Green Brothers | Vibraphone ("Deagan vibra-harp") and chimes duet | arranger, instrumentalist, vibraphone | |
Victor | LBS-81312 | 10-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | 1/25/1934 | Abide with me | Green Brothers | Vibraphone ("Deagan vibra-harp") and chimes duet | instrumentalist, vibraphone, arranger | |
Victor | LBS-81313 | 10-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | 1/25/1934 | Nearer, my God, to Thee | Green Brothers | Vibraphone ("Deagan vibra-harp") and chimes duet | arranger, instrumentalist, vibraphone |
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
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Green, George Hamilton, 1893-1970 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n85072593
Wikidata: George Hamilton Green - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q5540185
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/105139051
MusicBrainz: George Hamilton Green - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/ad8bc914-efba-40e3-9ed2-fbc5673dcb24
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