Music Hall For All: George Winston, Complete Solo Piano Recordings 1971-1996 (new age)

The George Winston CDs in this box speak eloquently for themselves. There's the warm, by-the-fire holiday favorite December, the dramatic poetry of Winter into Spring, the playful tribute to Vince Guaraldi's Peanuts soundtrack music on Linus & Lucy, and a handful of other equally wonderful Winston CDs, the most unusual being his early-70s blues work inspired by Fats Waller. This master pianist solidified a new genre of delicate yet intensely poetic piano, and this is the most comprehensive collection of his work. The music on these CDs will lovingly gather you into its gentle, intimate arms.

Box set includes:

* BALLADS & BLUES 1972 (Special Edition)

* AUTUMN (20th Anniversary Edition)

* WINTER INTO SPRING (20th Anniversary Edition)

* DECEMBER (20th Anniversary Edition)

* SUMMER (Special Edition)

* FOREST

* LINUS & LUCY - THE MUSIC OF VINCE GUARALDI

Self-described "rural folk piano" player George Winston was among the earliest and most successful proponents of the genre of contemporary instrumental music later dubbed new age. Although born in Michigan in 1949, he was raised primarily in Montana, the extreme seasonal changes he experienced there later greatly influencing the pastoral feel of his music. Even as a child, Winston preferred instrumental music over vocal performances, counting among his early heroes Booker T. & the MG's, Floyd Cramer, and the Ventures; he did not take up music until after high school, however, beginning with organ and electric piano but moving to acoustic piano by 1971.

Influenced by the stride piano of Fats Waller and Teddy Wilson, Winston turned from rock and R&B to jazz, and soon released his first solo piano effort, Ballads and Blues 1972, after which he mysteriously retired from music for the next several years.Discovering the music of the legendary New Orleans R&B pianist Professor Longhair in 1979 was the epiphany Winston was seeking to inspire a return to performing; signing to the Windham Hill label, between 1980 and 1982 he recorded a trilogy of albums -- Autumn, December, and Winter Into Spring -- of impressionistic, seasonal-themed piano musings which laid much of the groundwork for the new age boom to follow.

Winston's music continued to grow in popularity and influence in the years to follow, but in typically enigmatic fashion, he virtually dropped from sight for the remainder of the 1980s, resurfacing only in 1986 to score a reading of The Velveteen Rabbit by actress Meryl Streep. Finally, in 1991, Winston returned to action, completing his seasonal cycle with Summer; Forest followed three years later. In 1996, he paid tribute to another of his greatest influences with Linus & Lucy: The Music of Vince Guaraldi. A compilation album, All the Seasons of George Winston, was released in the spring of 1998, followed a year later by Plains.

The new millennium brought anniversary editions of several of his landmark albums, including Autumn, December, and Winter Into Spring, as well as the 2001 album Remembrance: A Memorial Benefit, which was Winston's response to the tragic events of September 11, 2001. His 2002 release, Night Divides the Day, focused on the music of one of his earliest influences, the Doors. Montana: A Love Story from 2004 was inspired by Winston's childhood in Montana. An impressive solo piano outing, Gulf Coast Blues & Impressions, released as a benefit set for hurricane relief, appeared from RCA in 2006. (Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide)

Music Hall For All

quinta-feira, 12 de novembro de 2009

George Winston, Complete Solo Piano Recordings 1971-1996 (new age)

Sem comentários:

Enviar um comentário

Google search engine

The Absolute Secret! Your secret to Achieve Everything

Counter

Seguidores

Arquivo do blogue

Acerca de mim