喬治溫斯頓

美國北部蒙大拿洲的成長經歷對于George Winston有著重要的意義，那里人口稀少，工業不發達，空氣清新，流水潔凈，未受污染，是美國大陸最清潔之州，這似乎給George Winston的音樂帶來了無窮的空靈之韻，四季分明的轉變啟發了他的創作。1980年，31歲的George Winston以其非凡的才思創作了他自己一生中最重要的四季系列唱片第一部《Autumn》（四季系列唱片：《Winter into Spring》、《Autumn》、《December》、《Summer》），這也是New Age史上石破天驚的一張概念唱片，也使他成為Solo Instrumental的第一人。相對來說《Winter into Spring》（冬去春來/辭冬）并不算George Winston最出色的作品，但也足以讓我們一窺George Winston以自己的方式定義的New Age音樂。 by Jason Ankeny 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 MGs, 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. Winstons 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 Winstons 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 Winstons 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.