(+) Naruto Medley | Piano Solo
7. New Hope Blues 1:40
Inspired by the great stride pianist, Thomas
“Fats” Waller, especially by his solo and
group recordings between 1929 and 1936
, and by the great solo blues/ragtime guitarist
Blind Blake who recorded in the 1920s
. Blake’s recordings have been reissued
on the Biograph and Yazoo labels.
Ballads And Blues : 1972 / Dancing Cat
Engineer : Doug Decker
Solo performer:
George Winston (piano).
Producers: John Fahey, Doug Decker,
George Winston.
Recorded at United Recording, Los Angeles,
California in November 1972 and June 1973.
Originally released on Takoma (R-9016) as
PIANO SOLOS.
All songs written by George Winston except
"Go 'Way From My Window" (traditional),
"Brenda's Blues" (John Fahey) and "Theme
For A Futuristic Movie" (Michael S. Roth).
George Winston's tranquil piano melodies
practically defined the New Age genre in the early '80s.
It may surprise some to hear this first collection
, originally released almost a decade before his
Windham Hill classics, where a gutsier mood prevails.
Winston's distinctive precision is in evidence here
, in service of complicated rags and jubilant stride
piano tunes.
The album opens with a very moving medley dedicated to
one of his former hometowns, Deland, Florida.
The giddy first segment, "Highway Hymn Blues,"
evokes the spirit of Fats Waller, Earl Hines, and the
open road.
The mood shifts with the mournful "Song" followed by
the traditional weeper "Go Way from my Window.
" The mixed emotions about loss and leaving explored
in the first three songs resolve with the bittersweet
"The Woods East of Deland," an uptempo number
that echoes the optimism of the opener, with none
of the bravado. Other standout tracks are the two rags,
"Miles City Train" and, appropriately, "Rag," where
astonishing technique meets real joy.
Nit Music ManiaClub ... Angel's Wings
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