Last Updated 6/23/08

George Winston Recent Projects


New Recording

LOVE WILL COME - THE MUSIC OF VINCE GUARALDI, VOL. 2

George is working on his next album to be released late 2008 or early 2009. This is the follow-up to his 1996 recording LINUS & LUCY - THE MUSIC OF VINCE GUARALDI.

Vince Guaraldi was well known for his soundtracks for the first 16 of the Peanuts animations, and for his standard song Cast Your Fate to the Wind. This new recording will feature many of Vince's compositions from the Peanuts soundtracks as well as some of his jazz compositions.

New Release

SHEET MUSIC BOOK PUBLISHED BY HAL LEONARD
George Winston - Piano Solos

The only authorized sheet music book notating 20 of of George's compositions and arrangements.

The songs transcribed in the songbook are:

Please visit our Merchandise Page to Order the sheet music book today.
If you would like to carry the sheet music book in your store, please contact Hal Leonard E-Z Order Line at 1-800-554-0626, send a message to sales@halleonard.com, or visit www.halleonard.com/dealers.


Latest Release

GULF COAST BLUES & IMPRESSIONS
— A Hurricane Relief Benefit

"This is perhaps the most engaging Winston album ever, and the single one anyone who's ever been interested in him should own." ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

George Winston, best known for his melodic rural folk piano style, has made no secret of the debt his playing owes to the musicians of New Orleans. Gulf Coast Blues & Impressions–A Hurricane Relief Benefit was inspired by Winston’s desire to support the Gulf Coast Region after the recent hurricane related devastation.

100% of artist’s proceeds will go towards the rebuilding effort in the Gulf Coast region. RCA Records will also be donating the bulk of its net profits to benefit musicians in the New Orleans area.

Gulf Coast Blues & Impressions features six Winston compositions inspired by the music of New Orleans as well as pieces written by or influenced by New Orleans pianists Henry Butler, James Booker, Professor Longhair, Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, and Jon Cleary. Winston interprets James Booker’s Pixie, Henry Butler’s complex composition The Breaks and Dr. John’s Creole Moon. Winston’s compositions run the gamut from up tempo to the melancholy. New Orleans Shall Rise Again is an ode to The City and its music, Pixie #3 (Go•bajie) borrows its form from James Booker’s Pixie, and Stevenson is a moving eulogy for a lost friend. The centerpiece of Gulf Coast Blues is Winston’s epic treatment of When The Saints Go Marching In. The arrangement starts at a deliberately ominous tempo inspired by Dr. John, before breaking into the song’s familiar celebratory melody and variations inspired by James Booker. The festivities are interrupted when Winston’s left hand moves up an octave, inspired by Henry Butler, before returning to the melody. At the end of the tune he breaks into a stride piano section before ending with two hand rolls inspired by the South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim (aka Dollar Brand). The album closes gently with Blues for Fess, Beloved, a eulogy for Professor Longhair that leaves each note hanging in the air reverberating, thoughts offered to fallen friends and a region and a city struggling to get back on its feet.

Sound Bytes       Liner Notes


October 2006 Releases

10 CD BOX SET
Complete solo piano recordings 1972 – 2004

This set contains all 10 of George’s solo piano albums released between 1972-2004


1. Ballads & Blues 1972 – Special edition
2. Autumn - 20th anniversary edition
3. December – 20th anniversary edition
4. Winter into Spring - 20th anniversary edition
5. Summer – special edition
6. Forest
7. Linus & Lucy - The Music of Vince Guaraldi
8. Plains
9. Night Divides the Day–The Music of the Doors
10. Montana–A Love Story

    Packaged in an elegantly designed cloth box, plus a special limited edition collector’s book with liner notes by George.

    BALLADS AND BLUES 1972 SPECIAL EDITION

    The Special Edition enhanced CD contains five new bonus tracks and printable sheet music to the song New Hope Blues.


    Most Recent Releases

    SEASONS – BOX SET

    The set contains the complete George Winston Seasons recordings:

    The special edition of Summer includes a never before released bonus track and enhanced CD capable of viewing and printing sheet music.

    MONTANA – A LOVE STORY

    George Winston's new solo piano recording features originals, as well as pieces by composers Philip Aaberg, Mark Isham, Frank Zappa, Sam Cooke, Huddie Ledbetter, Paul Anastasio, and Alby Potts.

    NIGHT DIVIDES THE DAY – THE MUSIC OF THE DOORS

    “I love George’s playing. He has captured the essence of the Doors, and added his own unique voice,”
         – Ray Manzarek, DOORS Keyboardist.

    20th ANNIVERSARY EDITIONS

    All include new bonus tracks and printable sheet music for one song on each album.
    Summer