Thomas Griselle
Currently No Information Available
Believed to be most active in the very late 1920s and the 1930's. Griselle was the piano accompanist on many recordings by famed violinst Fritz Kreisler. The Gennett Military Band left a large collection of recorded music with the Music Library of UCLA -- "The Gennett Collection", and it includes a lot of accompaniment by Thomas Griselle. The Gennett Band was owned by the Gennett Record Co. of Richmond, Indiana. In turn, The Gennett Record Company was owned by the Starr Piano Co. which was founded in 1919. Gennett released many recordings by such early Jazz artists as Jelly Roll Morton, "King" Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, Don Murray and Tommy Dorsey. Incidentally, Richmond, Indiana, was also the home of Hoagy Carmichael so it's claim to fame is "Stardust".
Griselle also worked with the Artie Shaw Band but have not found out doing what.
Composer, or arranger, I suspect.
The only known songs composed by Thomas Griselle are:
(He was the sole composer, except where shown.)
"Cuckoo Clock", - Victor Young and Armon Velasky co-composers.
"March"
"Minuet"
"Nocturne" (Recorded by Artie Shaw Orch.)
"Reflections"
"Two American Sketches"
Our thanks to Mr. John Deal for some of this information on Thomas Griselle.
Adolph Green
b. Dec. 2, 1914, Newl York (The Bronx), NY, USA, d. Oct. 24, 2002, Newl York (Manhattan), NY, USA.
Please also see 'Betty Comden', entry. Their partnership was the longest-lived in Broadway history, spanning six decades.
In 1938 Green, then an aspiring young actor, met the aspiring actress, Betty Comden. Comden and Green, together with the young actress Judy Holiday, formed a comedy and music troupe, "The Revuers", which was soon a popular Greenwich Village attraction. (For more information, please see the Comden link above.)
Bud Green
b. Nov. 19, 1897, Austria, d. Jan. 2, 1981, Yonkers, New York, USA
Lyricist, Songwriter, composer, publisher and author, educated in New York City public schools and later a writer of special material for vaudeville and then the Broadway stage scores and songs in musicals for Cecil Lean, Cleo Mayfield, Winnie Lightner and Sophie Tucker. He also was a staff writer for music publishers between 1920 and 1928, and following that he formed his own firm. This popular lyricist did his most productive work from the early 1920's through the late 1940's. His chief musical collaborators included Buddy G. DeSylva, Al Dubin, Ray Henderson, Ben Homer, Raymond Scott, Sam Stept, Harry Warren, Les Brown, Ella Fitzgerald, and Slim Gaillard.
His popular-song compositions include
"Alabamy Bound" (1924), "That's My Weakness Now" (1928), "Once In a While" (1937), "Flat Foot Floogie" (1938), "Sentimental Journey" (1944), "I'll Always Be in Love With You", "The Man Who Comes Around", "Speed Limit", "Blue Fedora", "My Mother's Evening Prayer", "Swingy Little Thingy", "Moonlight on the River", "I Love My Baby", "In My Gondola", "Away Down South in Heaven", "Oh Boy, What a Girl", "Do Something", Congratulations", "Good Little, Bad Little You", "Simple and Sweet", "Dream Sweetheart", "More Than Ever", "You Showed Me the Way", "Tia Juana", "The Man Who Comes Around", "Who Can Tell", "All the Days of Our Years", "My Number One Dream Came True" and "On Accounta I Love You".
Johnny Green
b. Oct. 10, 1908, New York, N.Y., d. May 17, l989
né: John W. Green
Overview
Johnny Green is mainly recalled today as a very popular bandleader. But, perhaps, his biggest claim to fame is as the composer of the hit song "Body and Soul". He is otherwise recalled as an arranger, a conductor, and the musical director for several significant Hollywood films.
This New York City youngster, attended Horace Mann H.S., the New York Military Academy, and then graduated from Harvard University, in 1928. His main childhood interest was music, and even though his father, a banker, wanted him to follow in his footsteps, Johnny finally turned to music as a career, after having served a year or so in a Wall Street broker's office. Even while still in Harvard, Green, working with Carmen Lombardo, had composed the tune "Coquette", with lyrics by Gus Kahn.
In 1930, - just two years after graduating from Harvard, Johnny had two songs
that firmly established his place in popular music;
From the Broadway revue, 'Three's a Crowd'
"Body and Soul", with lyric by Edward Heyman and Robert Sour.
(Green had been an accompanist for Gertrude Lawrence. He wrote this song as 'special' material for her. She sang the unpublished piece during her tour of England, where it became a big hit, before appearing on the Broadway stage.)
From film 'Leave it to Lester'.
"I'm Yours", lyric by E. Y. "Yip" Harburg These two hits were followed by
"Out of Nowhere", Lyric by Edw. Heyman
"I Cover The Waterfront", lyric by Edward Heyman
"I Wanna Be Loved", lyric by Edward Heyman and Billy Rose
From 1930 to 1933, Johnny worked for Paramount Pictures in their Astoria,
N.Y.C. studios, and made personal appearances, as a conductor, in various
Paramount theaters across the U.S.
From 1933 to 1940,Johnny Green toured the U.S. with his own dance band. He also had some coast to coast radio assignments, including such prestigious shows as The Packard Hour with Fred Astaire; The Jack Benny Show, and the Phillip Morris Radio Program.
Green has served as the conductor and musical director for the Academy of Motion Picture Awards ceromonies, four times between the years of 1945 and 1957. (He produced and directed the entire show in 1953.)
From 1949 to 1958, Johnny was the executive in charge of Music at the MGM Studios. Among the films to his credit are:
An American In Paris, with Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron
Rhapsody
The Great Caruso, starring Mario Lanza
Brigadoon
Meet Me In Las Vegas In this film, he
wrote the Frankie and Johnny Ballet for Cyd Charisse
High Society, with Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby.
He has, since 1958, produced several TV 'specials'
Green has written some 'serious' works. In the early 1930's, he composed a work called "Night Club: Six Impressions". This work, for orchestra and three pianos, was commissioned by Paul Whiteman. Subsequently, it was played by the Whiteman Orchestra, the BBC Orchestra (in London), and by the CBS Symphony under the baton of Andre Kostelanetz. In the early 1960's, Green wrote a symphonic suite called "Raintree County: Three Themes for Symphony Orchestra". This score was an adaptation of some music Green had written for the MGM film Raintree County, starring Elizabeth Taylor. In more recent years, Johnny has been director and permanent conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's Promenade Concerts series.
Green was married to the former Bonnie (Bunny) Waters, the American swimming champion. He is a member of the Songwriters' Hall of Fame.
Mort Greene
Currently no information available.
This lyricist contributed to some of composer Harry Revel's tunes.
Jesse Greer
Currently no information available.
1927 "I'm Gonna Meet My Sweetie Now", music Greer, lyric Benny Davis.
Eliseo Grenet
Currently no information available.
This Cuban composer is mainly recalled for his song "Mama Inez", a huge
hit in the 1930's for actor/singer Maurice Chevalier, and recorded by a
great many others.
Ferde Grofe
b. March 27, 1892, New York, N.Y. d.
né: Ferdinand Rudolph von Grofe
While still a child, Grofe's family moved to Los Angeles,CA, where Ferde attended the local schools. His was a musical family. His father was an actor and baritone singer, while his mother was a cellist and music instructor who gave her son his first music lessons.
In 1899, Grofe accompanied his morther when she went to study music at the Leipzig Conservatory, in Germany, returning to Los Angeles, CA in 1892. Not long afterwards, Ferde's father died, and his mother remarried. Family pressure for him to study Law while he wished to pursue music resulted in his 'running away' from home. In the following years, he worked at a number of different jobs including steel worker; newsboy; elevator operator; theater usher, and he even worked in a bookbindery.
In 1908, he finally started working in his chosen field of music. He found some work as a violinist at convention halls and as a pianist with a touring dancing master. He also received his first commission. He composed "The Elks Grand Reunion March" for the Elks convention.
Finally, in 1909, he was hired by the Los Angeles Symphony in the viola section. Ferde stayed with the LA Symphony for about 10 years, during which time he formed his own jazz ensemble and played the local clubs. Paul Whiteman was in attendence at one of the clubs where he heard the young Grofe, and engaged him as a pianist/arranger for Whiteman's own band. Grofe stayed with Whiteman for the next 12 years, and it was his arrangements of songs such as "Whispering" that helped propel the Whiteman Band to world wide fame. In 1924, he arranged Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue" for it's Whiteman Orchestra premiere at New York's Aeolian Hall.
In the mid-1920's, Grofe emerged as a major American composer.
Brief Chronology
1925 Composed "Mississippi Suite", written for and introduced by the Paul
Whiteman Orchestra, in New York City. The four movements of this suite are:
The Father of the Waters
Huckleberry Finn
Old Creole Days
Mardi Gras
1931 Composed "The Grand Canyon Suite". Introduced by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, in Chicago, IL. The five movements are:
Sunrise
The Painted Desert
On The Trail
Sunset
Cloudburst
1932 Grofe left Paul Whiteman and formed his own orchestra which, for many years, toured America, and was often heard on national radio.
1939 - 1942 Grofe was an instructor at New York's famed Juilliard School of Music.
Starting in 1954, Ferde and his wife, Anne, began appearing in two-piano concerts.
1961 Composed the "Niagara Suite". Commissioned by the N.Y. State Power Authority to commemorate the opening of the Electric Power Project at Niagara Falls.
Among the many other works composed by Grofe are:
"Symphony in Steel" (composed for the American Rolling Mill Corp.)
"Wheels", commissioned by Henry Ford for Ford Motor Corp.
"World's Fair Orchestra Suite" (1964)
scored 'Hollywood Ballet'
scored 'Cafe Society', another ballet.
Grofe has also written music for several Hollywood films,including:
'Minstrel Man'. He received an Academy Award for his music.
'Time Out of Mind'
'The Return of Jesse James'
Walter Gross
b. 1909, New York, N.Y., d.
Overview
Walter, an executive of Musicraft Records, was the conductor, arranger, and/or pianist on many recording sessions. He is included here for his 1947 hit composition "Tenderly," a million seller for Rosemary Clooney in 1952. (Walter was also the pianist on her recording.) I believe this was the only 'hit' tune he ever wrote.
Wilhelm Grosz
aka: Hugh Williams
b. March 11, 1894, Vienna, Austria. d. Dec. 10, 1939, New York, NY.
Composer/pianist
Studied with F. Schreker von Schuler and with G. Adler. In 1928, he went to Berlin, Germany where he worked in Radio and Recording Studios. In 1934, he emigrated to the USA, where he composed Operas and Ballets,
as well as Dance music - everything from Foxttrots and Tangos to Ballads. He was very active in the Hollywood studios.
Some of the tunes he composed are:
"Harbor Lights", by Will Grosz (as: Hugh Williams) with lyric by Jimmy Kennedy
"Along the Santa Fe Trail", with Al Dubin lyric.
"Beautiful Buxom Barmaid", with Sam Coslow lyric
"Harbour Lights", James B. Kennedy lyric.
"Make Believe Island", with Sam Coslow, and both Charles F. and Nick A. Kenny
"My Heart Is In Vienna Tonight". Roma Campbell Hunter lyric
"Isle of Capri", with Jimmy Kennedy lyric. 1935 play "Provincetown Follies".
VIDEO: "Isle of Capri" Famed British vocalist Greta Keller singing, and the composer Dr. Wilhelm Grosz at the piano, in 1934. (film clip: jozefsterkens)
"Red Sails In The Sunset", with Jimmy Kennedy lyric. for 1935 play "Provincetown Follies".
"Shadows on the Sand", with Stanley Adams.
"Silverlake (A Winter's Tale)", with fellow composer Kurt Weill.
"Tina", with Joseph Hamilton Kennedy
"Tomorrow Night", with Sam Coslow
Bernie Grossman
Currently No Information on this Lyricist.
"Song of The Blues", music by Isham
Jones.
David W. Guion
b. Dec. 15, 1892 Ballinger, TX d.
né: David Wendell De Fentresse Guion
No Information currently available.
Wilbur Gumm
b. Indianapolis, IN.
né: Gumbinsky
Wilbur was a Lyricist/music publisher. He was the brother of the very well known composers Albert, and Harry Von Tilzer. Wilbur was a sometimes lyricist with his brother Albert. His brothers, Jules, Jack, Harry, and Albert were all born in Indianapolis and they all became 'Tin Pan Alley' publishers, -primarily publishing songs their brothers had composed. (To make their name more important sounding, the brothers adopted their mother's maiden name -Tilzer- and added the "Von".)
Vicente Greco
b: Feb. 3, 1888, d: Oct. 5, 1924
Bandoneonist, leader and composer
Nickname: Garrote
Currently no information on this Argentinean Tango Bandoneonist, composer, and bandleader.
Here's a photo of Vicente Greco
who first coined the term "Orquesta Tpica" for Tango groups.
Robert Emilio Goyeneche,
b: Oct. 23, 1898, Buenos Aires (Lezama Park), Argentina, d: April 22, 1925, age: 22
Worked as pianist with Orquesta Eduardo Arolas, and composed such Tangos as:
"De Mi Barrio", ("my neighborhood"),
"Pompas de Jab�", ("soap Pomps"),
"Yo te Perdono",("I pardon you"),
"Que te Vaya Bien!".("Have a good
day").
Irvin Graham,
b. Sept. 18, 1909, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA d. Dec.1, 2001, New York, New York, USA.
Graham was educated at the Zeckwer Hahn Musical Academy and a was student of Norman Lloyd. He had his first "hit" at age 15 when he wrote "You Better Go Now", which actress/singer Imogene Coca sang in the Broadway show "New Faces of 1934" that 1934 edition introduced such talents as Henry Fonda and Imogene Coca). The 1952 editon of 'New Faces' introduced such future stars as Eartha Kitt, Ronny Graham, Alice Ghostley, and Paul Lynde, - and had such songs as "Love Is a Simple Thing", "Lizzie Borden" "Monotonous" (sung be Eartha Kitt), Ghostley's "Boston Beguine," Robert Clary's "Lucky Pierre" and "Miss Logan," and June Carroll's (producer Leonard Sillman's sister) "Penny Candy" and "Guess Who I Saw Today."
Graham first worked as a singer and scriptwriter for radio stations WCAU and WIP in Philadelphia, PA, USA, before turning his hand to composing for such Broadway musical shows as "Crazy With The Heat" and "All About Love", as well as the CBS musical version of Shakespeare's play, "Taming of the Shrew"
Graham's TV work includes writing for the "Show of Shows", starring Imogene Coca and Sid Caesar (directed by Max Liebman, b. 2 August 1902, Vienna, Austria-Hungary (now Austria), d. 21 July 1981, New York, USA). Graham also wrote for the Jane Frohman TV Show, including the song "I Believe" (Words and Music by Ervin Drake, Irvin Graham, Jimmy Shirl and Al Stillman) which Frohman first sang, and which has since become a standard all over the world, - sung by singers from Elvis Presley, and Frankie Laine, to Barbra Streisand. His other popular-song compositions include "Maybe I Love Him", "I'm In Love With a Married Man", and "Twist of the Wrist".
During his career, Graham composed special material for singers Jane Froman, Patrice Munsel, Imogene Coca, Marguerite Piazza, Mimi Benzel, and for actors Eddie Albert and Constance Bennett.
rld of Information!
TUNESMITHS
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