Profile
George Winston was an American pianist and composer born in 1949. He was a pioneer of the contemporary instrumental music and New Age music.
His musical roots are various. The melodic approach he developed, that is called “rural folk piano”. And he is influenced by stride piano and New Orleans Rhythm and Blues. Besides his music and spirit were inspired by the Doors.
He found and established his unique contemporary piano style (It’s neither classical nor jazz, but it’s classical and jazz at the same time.) by “Autumn”, “Winter into Spring” and “December” were released by Windham Hill.
His chord progressions, harmonies and backings are basic and usual. But his melodies and emotional piano play style are very unique and only one. Sentimental and melancholic but gentle and relaxing also serious.
His music, especially the albums “Winter into Spring” and “December”, is the most precious, pure, respectable and sweet music in the world, I think.
He passed away in June 4, 2023 after the struggle with cancer for 10 years.
RIP George Winston
The most prescious and respectable musician and person.
Albums
Piano Solos (Takoma, 1972)
“Piano Solos” is the debut album of George Winston. (When it was reissued by Windham Hill in 1981, it renamed “Ballads and Blues”.) A fifteen tracked album is consist of five covered songs and ten original songs by him. Seven songs are high-tempo, dynamic and funky stride piano or R&B, and seven songs are gentle and nostalgic Folk song or traditional Ballad, moreover “Untitled” can be classified the specific genre.
The music isn’t refined and polished enough. But you can find his basis and roots, and the spout of his genius.
Autumn (Windham Hill//Dancing Cat, 1980)
“Autumn” is George Winston’s second album and actually nationwide debut album, was released by New Age label Windham Hill in 1980. An eight tracked album, and all songs were composed by Winston.
After the release of the debut, his music and its style was polished and refined. The compositions became sophisticated, serious and have contemporary taste. The piano playings are emotional also skilful and controlled.
The first track, “Colors/Dance” is a combination of middle-tempo gentle and hi-tempo refreshing song. It represents his band-new original style.
“Road” is a serious but bright song, but in it remains his root, American folk song.
“Longing/Love” and “Moon” is his unique and iconic serious and sentimental song.
“Sea” and “Stars” are also serious and sentimental song, and he presents his own “rural folk piano” melodic approach with spiritual and great skilful piano technique.
Winston developed showed his unique composition and piano style by this album.
(The reissued version by his own label Dancing Cat, released in 1992 includes the volume 2 CD that contains three cover songs of the Doors.)
1 Colors/Dance 10:25
2 Woods 6:47
3 Longing/Love 9:10
4 Road 4:14
5 Moon 7:44
6 Sea 2:42
7 Stars 5:36
Total Length: 46:38
Winter into Spring (Windham Hill/Dancing Cat, 1982)
The third album, “Winter into Spring” released in 1982, is the most representative and iconic work of George Winston. By this album, he completely established his unique piano composition and play style.
So sentimental and sorrowful, also keen, hard and passionate, but very sweet and heartfelt, but brand-new, refreshing and reflective, one of greatest piano solo music, and one of ultimate music. And it’s unique and only one, contemporary and eternally new, also common, perpetual and universal. A peak of George Winston, the piano play is emotional, most hard, skilful and completed.
“January Star” shows his unique and iconic serious and sentimental composition and its melodies. The piano play is passionate also melancholic.
“Reflection” must be his representative song. A very sentimental and grave song also have a kindness and a freshness too.
“Blossom/Meadow” is a gentle, sweet and bright but sentimental and nostalgic song, in it remains a folk music taste.
The masterpiece of George Winston and today’s piano solo music. This album is a perpetual treasure of music in the world.
1 January Stars 6:32
2 February Sea 5:15
3 Ocean Waves (O Mar) 7:08
4 Reflection 2:40
5 Rain/Dance 10:05
6 Blossom/Meadow 4:13
7 The Venice Dreamer Part One – Introduction 2:19
8 The Venice Dreamer Part Two 5:46
Total Length: 43:45
December (Windham Hill/Dancing Cat, 1982)
“December” is a 12 tracked album released in the end of 1982 as a Christmas album. The eight songs are cover song or traditional song.
Very sorrowful, sad and pathetic album expresses the atmosphere of December and deep winter, also gratitude and love for the grace of God. In this album there’s primary his Classical music tendency, secondary his American Folk music tendency also coexists Christian taste. The entire mood of compositions is sentimental and sorrowful but some songs are warm and gentle. The piano touches are mild, tender and balanced. It’s the alternate aspect of George Winston.
“Thanksgiving” is Winston’s representative song. Despite the title, the song is so sentimental, sorrowful and introspective. Therefore, I felt the gratitude for God, by this song.
“Variations on the Kanon by Pachelbel” is the famous performance of Winston, on his concerts.
I think this album is another masterpiece and peak of George Winston next to “Winter into Spring”.
1 Thanksgiving 4:04
2 Jesus, Jesus, Rest Your Head (John Jacob Niles) 2:40
3 Joy (J. S. Bach) 3:13
4 Prelude 1:16
5 Carol of the Bells (M. D. Leontovych) 3:56
6 Night, Part One: Snow (Malcolm Dalglish) 1:51
7 Night, Part Two: Midnight (Malcolm Dalglish) 1:56
8 Night, Part Three: Minstrels (Malcolm Dalglish) 2:00
9 Variations on the Kanon by Johann Pachelbel (Johann Pachelbel) 5:21
10 The Holly and the Ivy (Traditional) 4:52
11 Some Children See Him (Alfred S. Burt) 3:43
12 Peace 4:02
Total Length: 38:54
Summer (Windham Hill/Dancing Cat, 1991)
“Summer” is George Winston’s album released in 1991. The album is consist of fifteen tracks and eight tracks are cover songs.
In this album, it exists Country Music and American Traditional or Folk Music tastes. The whole mood of songs is bright and happy, calm and relaxing, nostalgic and very sweet. The piano play is joyful, calm and refreshing. It associates the scenery and atmosphere of summer of the South of the USA.
A very good album, my favourite album. Winston expressed his peculiar sensation of the summer.
1 Living in the Country (Pete Seeger) 3:51
2 Loreta and Desirée’s Bouquet (Part 1) 4:04
3 Loreta and Desirée’s Bouquet (Part 2) 3:28
4 Fragrant Fields (Art Lande) 4:01
5 The Garden (Dominic Frontiere) 3:07
6 Spring Creek (Philip Aaberg) 4:08
7 Lullaby (Steve Fergeson) 3:25
8 The Black Stallion (Carmine Coppola) 3:49
9 Hummingbird 5:07
10 Early Morning Range 2:59
11 Living Without You (Randy Newman) 6:01
12 Goodbye, Montana (Part 1) 2:14
13 Corrina, Corrina (Traditional) 4:24
14 Goodbye, Montana (Part 2) 3:11
15 Where Are You Now 3:36
Total Length: 57:10
Forest (Windham Hill/Dancing Cat, 1994)
A piano solo album (?) by George Winston released in 1994.
A 16 tracked album, and seven songs are cover songs or songs composed by other composers, and two songs are traditional songs. This album has Folk Music and contemporary taste, neither Classical and Jazz. And I think, it matched most the genre name “New Age” in his works. (But Winston rejected the labelling “New Age” to his music.) Some of compositions resemble them by Joe Hisaishi.
“Tamarack Pines” is unique song made of a fragmental collage of piano plays, plucks piano strings, sole touches noises, hummer noises and taps the piano body.
“Walking in the Sky” is composed by Howard Blake, but the composition and the play is iconic style of George Winston and the best song of this album with impressive theme riffs.
Plains (Windham Hill/Dancing Cat, 1999)
An eighteen-tracked album released in 1999. Fourteen songs are cover songs. Four songs, “Graduation”, “Rainsong (Fortune’s Lullaby)”, “Cloudburst” and “Plains (Eastern Montana Blues)” are original compositions by Winston.
The songs have a Folk, Traditional and/or Country taste. And, I think the subsequent work to the “Four Seasons series”. Especially this album resembles “Summer” (1991).
“Cloudburst” is the “New Age style” song is similar to compositions in “Winter into Spring”.
A nice, general and entirely high-quality album of Winston. It’s easy to listen, and stay on relax. You can be quite satisfied with Winston’s music.
Montana: A Love Story (Windham Hill/Dancing Cat, 2004)
George Winston fourteenth album released in 2004. A seventeen-tracked album. Six songs are original compositions. Other songs are cover songs and traditional songs. This album is a respect for the one of his musical roots American Folk music and Traditional music, and love for his hometown, Montana
The entire mood of this album is full of Folk Music, American Traditional Music, and nostalgic and tender taste. Cover songs are Country, R&B, Pops and traditional songs. But they are arranged by Winston’s taste and expressed by Winston’s style.
“Valse Frontenac” is an original composition, a very sweet, pretty and refreshing song.
The cover of “You Send Me” by Sam Cooke is a unique interpretation, it became a gentle Folk song.
“Kojo no Tsuki” by Kotaro Taki is a simple interpretation make good use of the original composition.
“Sky” is an original composition, an impressive and beautiful recording by a delicate and sensitive piano play by few tone and heartfelt and gentle mind.
An average and good quality album of George Winston. The gentle and simple music is good for rest, relaxing and refreshing.
Resources and Links
The Official George Winston Site
RCA Records – George Winston
American Piano Music – George Winston
Bandcamp
Wikipedia (EN)
Discogs
AllMusic
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List of All Music Reviews
Post-classical, New Age, Ambient, Minimal Music, Electronica
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