George McClennon was a dancer and novelty clarinetist who was very active in African-American theatre and vaudeville from 1910 up until his death in 1937. McClennon's records are a very good example of a style of playing the clarinet called "gas pipe". "Gas pipe" clarinet players used the instrument to produce all kinds of honks, growls, squeaks and effects that sounded like animal noises, laughter and so forth. This style of playing was meant to be humorous and McClennon upped the entertainment value by performing comic acrobatic dances while he played. McClennon died in 1937 in Chicago of tuberculosis. He was the adopted son of Bert Williams and like his adopted father he often performed in blackface makeup. George McClennon earliest records were released under the name of the Harlem Trio in 1923 and 1924.