George Winston performs his “Winter Show”
Where: George Mason University Center for the Arts
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Info: $21 to $42; 888-945-2468; gmu.edu/cfa; please bring a canned food item to be donated to a local food bank.
George Winston’s “The Winter Show” is a collection of melodic compositions inspired by the season and his rural childhood in Montana. The remarkable pianist/composer will perform a program of stark beauty and cozy reminiscing for all ages and tastes at George Mason University Center for the Arts audience Friday.
Winston’s Steinway piano artistry comes in three styles. The style he calls “rural folk piano” emulates impressionist painting. His stride piano style reflects his admiration of “Fats” Waller and Teddy Wilson. Incorporating their techniques, he stirred together R&B, jazz and rock for his New Orleans style rich in spice and rhythm. Along with his incomparable solo piano, he is expert on the harmonica and guitar and is currently recording the masters of the Hawaiian slack key guitar on his Dancing Cat label.
“I look in all the regions of the world for inspiration and I might utilize a Celtic tune or a Japanese piece, but the seasons have always been a great influence,” Winston said. “Growing up in Montana, our year consisted of three autumns and two winters. When we moved to Mississippi, summer lasted several seasons. That impressed me.”
Solo albums honoring places he has lived and loved, the artists who have touched his heart and the seasons that affect one’s moods include “Autumn,” “Winter into Spring,” “December,” “Summer” and “Montana — A Love Story.”
One of his most compelling projects, “Gulf Coast Blues and Impressions — A Hurricane Relief Benefit,” features six of his own thoughtful compositions and six by his favorite New Orleans pianists, among them Henry Butler, James Booker and Professor Longhair.
