• Born  in Osceola, Nebraska on Aug 23, 1896.
• In 1900, George lived in Mead, Saunders, Nebraska, with his father George W., mother Lula, brother Rupert (later known as Rube, reed player with Paul Whiteman 1927-1928) and sister Margaret. George’s father and mother were music teachers.
• In 1910, the family lived in Ventura, California.
• George registered for the WWI draft in 1917. He was described as tall, slender, with grey eyes and brown hair, employed by Alexander Pantages, picture producer and owner of the Pantages Theater Circuit.
• In 1920, George was living in Inglewood, California with his family. His father was a grammar school principal, his mother was a music teacher and he was a musician with the Los Angeles Symphony. The George W. Crozier Middle School in Inglewood, CA is named after George Delues Crozier's father.
  
•  In 1930, George was living in Beverly Hills, California and was an orchestra musician.
• In his 1941 World War II Army Enlistment Record, George was listed as musician and teacher of music. He resided in Oakland, California.
  
• Died in Los Angeles, California on June 4, 1949.
  

Musical Activities

With Eddie Elkins

George Crozier was a member of the Eddie Elkins orchestra in 1922. Here is a photo of the orchestra, courtesy of the vjm website.

Eddie Elkins and His Orchestra, outside the Pavillon Royal, Long Island, 1922. L-R: Loren McMurray, George Vaughn, Charles Strickfadden, W.E. ‘Jack’ Frost, Thomas Swift (piano and baritone horn), George Marsh, Eddie Elkins, Matt E. Grogan, Joseph Colling, George Crozier.

Here is the entrance to the Pavillon Royal

Here is the interior of the Pavillon Royal.



Eddie Elkins was a violinist and band leader, born in San Francisco, CA on February 15, 1897, died in New York NY on October 6, 1984. Between 1921 and 1925, Elkins' band made dozens of recordings for Columbia and OKeh. George Crozier played trombone and made the arrangements for the following two Elkins' recordings.

Columbia matrix 80171. Song of India / Eddie Elkins' Orchestra

Sound File:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbXvp_cFZvw

Columbia matrix 80177. To a wild rose / Eddie Elkins' Orchestra

Sound File:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FKtqpoKZvM

In 1922, George Crozier was a member of McMurray's California Thumpers, a small band within the Elkins band. The Thumpers waxed four recordings.

Videos for all four files are available on youtube.

Haunting Blues  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhlj7TuYjIU

Just Because You're You That's Why I Love You https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7xEnjokiKE

Oogie-Oogie-Wa-Wa  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F6TReo-yFM

Blue  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUSABgho0-E

Walter Hirsch and Henry Busse.

Richard Sudhalter writes in "Lost Chords; White Musicians and Their Contribution to Jazz, 1915-1945":
"His (McMurray's) alto on "Haunting Blues," made for Gennett in 1922 and issued under the name of "McMurray's California Thumpers," displays a full, controlled tone and fluidity of execution. is conception seems far more developed than that of any other "hot" alto saxophonist, white or black, in 1922 and to an extent foreshadows the solo work of Frank Trumbauer during his late-'20s association with Bix Beiderbecke."Even at this stage, McMurray seems to have achieved a coherent sense of line which, coupled with rhythmic smoothness and singing tone, makes him a singular figure."

he Blues." It was recorded by Jean Goldkette's orchestra.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c74oKr5yPrI


 

Victor matrix B-29810. It's the blues / Jean Goldkette Orchestra

Another composition by George Crozier is "Nervous Charlie Stomp" co-composed with Red Nichols who recorded it as the Red Heads on November 13, 1925.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSX29L63rbo

It will be seen that "Nervous Charlie Stomp" is a very modernistic composition. It was recorded by Fletcher Henderson as the Dixie Stompers two months later using an arrangement very similar to that by the Red Heads.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QSJ4u7MTTk 

Columbia matrix W141527. Nervous Charlie stomp / Dixie Stompers

Another Crozier composition (this one with Pete Gentile) is "Wop stomp." There are two recordings, one unissued

Columbia matrix W142714. Wop stomp / Broadway Melodians

All of part 1

Was it a dream? / Dorsey Brothers Concert Orchestra

OKeh matrix W401775. Lover, come back to me! / Dorsey Brothers Concert Orchestra ; Justin Ring

of the program.



The performance was reviewed in Variety, January 20, 1937. It will be seen that the orchestrations were by George

Crozier.