Benicia, CA. (Top40 Charts/ RCA Victor) -
George Winston brings his solo piano concert to The Majestic Theatre in Benicia and the Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre for Mother's Day Weekend. He will be performing at The Majestic Theatre in Benicia on Saturday, May 12th and the Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre in Vacaville on Sunday, May 13th.
George will be performing songs from his new CD "Gulf Coast Blues & Impressions - A Hurricane Relief Benefit," as well as selections from his seasonally themed recordings, including some R&B and stride piano.
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 after Hurricane Katrina related devastation.
Winston cites the pianists of New Orleans as the biggest influences on his own piano playing. He is donating all of his artist royalties from this album to organizations involved in helping those on the Gulf Coast and in New Orleans to rebuild and return.
"Gulf Coast Blues & Impressions" features six Winston compositions inspired by the Gulf Coast as well as pieces written by or influenced by six of the greatest New Orleans pianists: Henry Butler, James Booker, Professor Longhair, Dr. John, Allen Toussaint and Jon Cleary.
"Much of my work on the piano is studying the musical languages of the great New Orleans R&B pianists," Winston says. "Especially Professor Longhair, the founder of the New Orleans R&B piano scene in the late 1940's who inspired so many; James Booker, whose language influences the way I think of playing; and Henry Butler, who is the pianist I have studied the most since 1985."
With a tour schedule that includes more that 110 shows a year - solo piano concerts, solo guitar concerts, solo harmonica concerts and solo piano dances, Winston is driven by a deep rooted realization that his craft is still evolving, and by his desire to bring music to life through his performances, musical interpretation of other composers' works, and the recording and production of albums of many of those who have influenced and inspired him. Constantly traveling, he draws inspiration from the places and people he encounters.
George Winston was born in 1949 and grew up mainly in Montana. His favorite music was instrumental rock and R&B - artists like Floyd Cramer, The Ventures, Booker T & The MG's, the late jazz organist Jimmy Smith, and many more. "I was always an avid listener, especially to instrumental music and especially organists," Winston recalls. "In 1967, when I heard The Doors, I started playing organ. I studied chord structures, chord theory, and recordings of organists, especially the great jazz organist Jimmy Smith. In 1971 when I heard the 1920's and 1930's recordings of the great stride pianist Thomas 'Fats' Waller, I switched to solo piano."
In 1972, Winston recorded his first solo piano album "Ballads & Blues 1972" for the last guitarist John Fahey's Takoma Records. Since 1980, Winston has released 10 more solo piano albums: "Autumn" (1980), "Winter Into Spring: (1982), "December" (1982), "Summer" (1991), "Forest" (1994), "Linus & Lucy - The Music of Vince Guaraldi" (1996), "Plains" (1999), "Night Divides The Day - The Music of The Doors" (2002), "Montana - A Love Story" (2004) and the recently released "Gulf Coast Blues & Impressions - A Hurricane Relief Benefit" (2006).
Red Dragonfly Productions presents
George Winston
A Solo Piano Concert
Mother's Day Weekend
Saturday, May 12, 2007
7:30 pm
The Majestic Theatre
710 First Street
Benicia, CA 94510
$35 General Admission
707.771.0140 or www.RedDragonflyProductions.com for tickets and information
Tickets for the Benicia show available at Bookshop Benicia 856 Southampton Rd in Benicia
Sunday, May 13, 2007
7:30 pm
Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre
1010 Ulatis Drive
Vacaville, CA 95687
$38 Reserved Seating
707.449.6217 or www.vpat.net for tickets and information
Tickets for the Vacaville show available at the VPAT Box Office 1010 Ulatis Drive in Vacaville
