But whether playing the challenging inside-the-piano effects of his “Forbidden Forest” or the inviting themes of “Cloudy This Morning,” George Winston’s gifted lyricism remains true. I liked his earlier albums, but on Forest, George Winston went deeper, extending his ringing, open-air, melodic sound, embracing the minimalist influences of Steve Reich on “Tamarack Pines,” the jazz harmonies of the late-organist Larry Young‘s “The Cradle” and the slow ragtime of William Bolcom‘s “Graceful Ghost. He’s made several wonderful recordings since then, but looking back, I would still stick with my original five which spans from 1980 to 2002.įorestis the CD that brought me into the Winston fold. But when he plays inside those limitations, George Winston moves outside the box.ġ2 years ago, I put together a list of the Five Best George Winston albums. With one exception, he’s less successful playing their music, which often reveals his own limitations as a pianist. He occasionally goes off and pays tribute to these artists, doing entire albums of Vince Guaraldicompositions, for instance. Winston is an eclectic artist who cites The Doors and Tangerine Dream, Fats Waller and John Coltrane, Philip Aaberg and Steve Reich as influences. Winston took the lyricism and mood that made Keith Jarrett‘s music so popular and refined them into what he called “folk piano” on his that first Windham Hill album. It launched a million solo pianists, yet none of them has attained George Winston’s almost transcendent marriage of melody and atmosphere. Praised with five and four star reviews from Downbeat and Rolling Stone for his Windham Hill debut album, Autumn, in 1980, he’s since come to be synonymous with shlock for many critics. His impressionistic solo piano albums came to define the Windham Hill sound and he’s among the first musicians most people think of when you say, New Age, much to his chagrin. The family will hold a private memorial service.George Winston is the 30th of 30 Icons of Echoes. Winston is survived by his sister, Nancy Winston Kahumoku, and a niece and nephew. His last album, Night, was released in spring 2022, but worsening health forced him to cancel most of his performances in support of the album. He subsequently underwent treatment for thyroid and skin cancer. Winston's battle with cancer began in 2013, when he was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome and underwent a successful bone marrow transplant to combat the disease. It issued albums by Keola Beamer, Ledward Kaapana and Cyril Pahinui and is credited with introducing the style to listeners outside Hawaii. Dancing Cat Records, the label Winston founded in 1983, became a key forum for the slack-key guitarists of the Hawaiian Cultural Renaissance. On the latter instrument, he identified with the Hawaiian "slack-key" guitar tradition. Winston also played harmonica and guitar, recording an album of solos on the former in 2012 and incorporating the guitar into his benefit records. He recorded two benefit albums of what he called "Gulf Coast Blues and Impressions." "The vast majority of songs, about 90% I play, are in this style," he wrote. While his more pastoral and melodic music made him a star on records, he would often insert those pianists' songs, and his own originals inspired by them, into his albums and live performances. Winston spent much of the '70s studying New Orleans pianists Henry Butler, James Booker and Professor Longhair. He would record 13 more solo piano albums, with 1994's Forest winning a Grammy Award for best new age album. Together, the three recordings helped to launch the commercial success of what became known as new age - and made Windham Hill the genre's flagship label. It was a surprise hit, which Winston replicated with a sequel season-themed album Winter into Spring and the holiday record December. By the time Winston signed with Windham Hill and released Autumn in 1980, he had a glossier style that eliminated the folksy twang and incorporated the stride piano technique of left-hand bass patterns against right-hand melody. His 1973 debut album, Piano Solos (later re-released as Ballads and Blues), was recorded by folk guitarist John Fahey and had a more identifiable folk sound. His investigation of Doors organist Ray Manzarek's roots led him to jazz player Jimmy Smith, and in turn to the stride piano of Fats Waller - who inspired Winston to switch to piano in 1971. Born in Hart, Mich., in 1949 and raised in Montana, Winston was drawn to the organ after hearing the rock band The Doors in 1967. While many listeners heard classical foundations in his playing, Winston had neither training nor interest in classical music.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |