Bill Green

William Earnest Green (February 28, 1925, Kansas City, Kansas - July 29, 1996, Los Angeles) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist.

Green learned to play alto saxophone at age ten and picked up clarinet when he was twelve; he eventually learned to play most varieties of saxophone, clarinet, and flute. He served in the military until 1946, then began working at a club called Small's in Kansas City. In 1947 he relocated to Los Angeles and enrolled at the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music and Arts, graduating in 1952; he remained on staff as an educator there until 1962. He also ran a music education studio on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles for many years.

He played early in his career with Gerald Wilson, and began working with Benny Carter in the latter half of the 1950s. From 1959 to 1962 he played in Louie Bellson's big band, and worked extensively as a section player in the bands of musicians such as Quincy Jones, Henry Mancini, and Buddy Rich; he also accompanied vocalists such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole, Nancy Wilson, and Dionne Warwick. He played the Monterey Jazz Festival with Gil Fuller in 1965, and worked with Oliver Nelson in 1966 and Blue Mitchell in 1969. In the 1970s he performed or recorded with Gene Ammons, the Capp-Pierce Juggernaut, Ella Fitzgerald, Sonny Rollins, and Sarah Vaughan. He continued working with the Capp-Pierce orchestra in the early 1980s, as well as with Lionel Hampton, Woody Herman, and the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. Green also appeared as the pianist on Episode 33 Season 6 of Bonanza, as well as a street musician in Episode 7 Season 4 of The Golden Girls.

Green's personal papers and recordings are held in an archive at UCLA.

Birth and Death Data: Born February 28, 1925 (Kansas City), Died July 29, 1996 (Los Angeles)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1957 - 1958

Roles Represented in DAHR: flute

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Decca L 10668 12/16/1957 All the things you are Carmen McRae instrumentalist, flute  
Decca L 10669 12/16/1957 (What can I say) After I say I'm sorry Carmen McRae instrumentalist, flute  
Decca L 10670 12/16/1957 If I were a bell Carmen McRae instrumentalist, flute  
Decca L 10716 1/22/1958 Wayfaring stranger Paul Horn instrumentalist, flute  
Decca L 10717 1/22/1958 Intermezzo Paul Horn instrumentalist, flute  
Decca L 10718 1/22/1958 Circus Paul Horn instrumentalist, flute  
Decca L 10719 1/22/1958 Country gardens Paul Horn instrumentalist, flute  
Decca L 10720 1/22/1958 The vidiot Paul Horn instrumentalist, flute  
Decca L 10721 1/22/1958 Time after time Paul Horn instrumentalist, flute  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Green, Bill," accessed November 2, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/318795.

Green, Bill. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 2, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/318795.

"Green, Bill." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 2 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/318795

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