Magic Fingers Popular Pianist George Winston Plays Sold-Out Shows At The Met

One of the most popular pianists in America is returning to Spokane to open a Pacific Northwest tour.

George Winston’s popularity caused such a buzz that there was talk of a second Met show almost from the moment the first one was announced.

With the sellout of Wednesday’s program, a Thursday performance was added and that show also sold out.

Winston’s tour then continues to Moscow, Boise and Seattle, with other Idaho and Washington stops along the way.

Winston is readily known by his casual but accomplished sound at the keyboard, but is difficult to pigeon-hole.

“Each musician is an individual, not a category,” he says. “Like being Armenian is not all of who you are.”

Transcending categorization, Winston has etched out his own niche in the world of music.

When people ask him what style he plays, Winston replies: “Not jazz. I have a lot of respect for jazz and bring some elements of it into my own playing, but what I do is not jazz.

“I have three ways I approach playing. One is stride piano, where the left hand does the striding and the right hand improvises; a New Orleans-style rhythm and blues approach; and folk. My music has a folk sensibility - it’s really kind of a folk piano style.”

As if the success of his earlier seasonal albums - “Autumn,” “Winter into Spring,” “December” and “Summer” - hadn’t already staked his claim on the entertainment landscape, surely his Grammy-winning “Forest” (1994) and his most recent effort, “Linus & Lucy - The Music of Vince Guaraldi” (1996), have snagged the attention of the public.

Winston’s current album project has a focus on R&B standards. Also coming up is another children’s story soundtrack, a rendition of “Johnny Appleseed.” He has provided music for “The Velveteen Rabbit,” “This is America, Charlie Brown” and “Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes.”

When asked how he decides on a project, Winston said, “It’s a real coincidence. The producers came to me and I had fragments laying around that fit. I’m not a composer on demand. Maybe I could, but I just wouldn’t write something to fit a story. The music comes to me and suggests the story. I was thinking of Johnny Appleseed because I had 60 or so tunes already written for it.”

As to what music Winston would be including for the Spokane concert, he said, “30 percent or so from the new Vince Guaraldi album, but how I play depends on the area and the season. This will be more of a winter feel.

“I like the variety of touring - it brings out something different in the music. I love Spokane because it’s off the beaten trail. It’s a city, but the area has its own nice feel.”

Recently, Winston has been discovering and promoting the Hawaiian slack key guitar. Some solo guitar pieces in this finger-style tradition may also make their way into the performance.

The ultimate laid-back and casual performer, Winston will shape his show to fit the venue, so it’s hard to know precisely what will be on the docket.

Concert-goers are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to donate to the Spokane Food Bank. Winston has included this interaction with the community on his programs since 1986 as a way to connect with the communities on his tour and help people in need.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: CONCERT George Winston will appear at The Met on Wednesday and Nov. 6, at 7:30 p.m. Both shows are sold out, but 10 pairs of tickets are available for turkey donations to the Spokane Food Bank. Call 534-6678 for details.