George Winston RIP

[Brad Little]

Not a guitarist, but I'm sure some of you are fans.
George Winston RIP

 

[Uke]

Not a guitarist, but I'm sure some of you are fans.
George Winston RIP

Yes, my wife and I have been fans for years. Saw him in concert at Stetson University in Deland, Fl about 4 years ago ( he attended there back in the day, and would frequently come back to the University to do concerts, usually to benefit cancer research). He battled two or three forms of cancer over the years, but kept on playing. Loved his piano tribute to the Doors. And his "December" album is on our standard holiday play list. Thanks for the heads-up Brad. Edit: actually he had become a guitarist of sorts -- the slack key guitar, which he performed on in the above-mentioned concert.

 

[wileypickett]

Oh man. George was a friend who spent many hours at my house talking music back in the early days of his career. (I haven't t seen him or been in touch with him in years.)

Though he was most known for his "new age" albums on Windham Hill, he was also an accomplished stride piano player (James P. Johnson, Fats Waller) and could handle pieces by James Booker, Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis and others as well.

He was also a fine harmonica player. He played John Fahey's lap steel guitar piece, "Steamboat G'wine Round De Bend," on harmonica at Fahey's memorial service and had the slide / bent notes effects down perfectly. Beautiful! (We were both longtime friends with Fahey, who recorded Winston's first album.)

He was a scholar of Hawaiian Slack Key guitar and released a number of terrific records by the leading players in that style on his Dancing Cat label.

Sad news.

 

[GGJaguar]

Aw man. I have a couple of his albums. RIP G.W.

 

[walrus]

RIP.

walrus

 

[Westerly Wood]

Oh man. George was a friend who spent many hours at my house talking music back in the early days of his career. (I haven't t seen him or been in touch with him in years.)

Though he was most known for his "new age" albums on Windham Hill, he was also an accomplished stride piano player (James P. Johnson, Fats Waller) and could handle pieces by James Booker, Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis and others as well.

He was also a fine harmonica player. He played John Fahey's lap steel guitar piece, "Steamboat G'wine Round De Bend," on harmonica at Fahey's memorial service and had the slide / bent notes effects down perfectly. Beautiful! (We were both longtime friends with Fahey, who recorded Winston's first album.)

He was a scholar of Hawaiian Slack Key guitar and released a number of terrific records by the leading players in that style on his Dancing Cat label.

Sad news.

Wasn't he really the first Windham Hill artist?

 

[jp]

Though he was most known for his "new age" albums on Windham Hill, he was also an accomplished stride piano player (James P. Johnson, Fats Waller) and could handle pieces by James Booker, Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis and others as well.

He was also a fine harmonica player. He played John Fahey's lap steel guitar piece, "Steamboat G'wine Round De Bend," on harmonica at Fahey's memorial service and had the slide / bent notes effects down perfectly. Beautiful! (We were both longtime friends with Fahey, who recorded Winston's first album.)

He was a scholar of Hawaiian Slack Key guitar and released a number of terrific records by the leading players in that style on his Dancing Cat label.

Sad news.

I have a good friend who's a scholar and phenomenal player of New Orleans music, ragtime, boogie woogie, stride, and related styles. He was also friends with George Winston, and he told me about his background in American roots piano music, which surprised me. I loved Winston's music when I first heard it.

It is sad news. R.I.P. Mr. Winston.

Wasn't he really the first Windham Hill artist?

I think it was Will Ackerman who started the label that first released his own music.

I remember how refreshing the releases were when they first came out. I liked the clear spare recordings that focused on musicianship and and nice instrumental compositions. Alex Degrassi, George Winston, and Mark Isham were some of the standouts for me. It really bummed me out, however, when the label recordings became a go-to for audio wallpaper for bookstores, Hallmark stores, coffee shops, and cafes. Kinda like how I liked Enya the first time I heard her, and then when I couldn't go anywhere without hearing her, her music became like fingernails on a chalkboard to my ears.

 

[Westerly Wood]

Michael Hedges was on Windham hill too. His aerial boundaries. Such an incredible creation that song.

 

[Bill Ashton]

Probably the first Windham Hill recording I bought...on cassette! RIP George, so sorry you were ill, did not know