Record collector / DJ / Broadcaster / Producer / Brownswood Recordings boss / occasional remixer

Tunesmiths is a collective of composers who every couple of months write a piece of music in response to challenge. December: TRAIN THEME,. September: a piece about a memorable time in your life. August: The NE England: its past and future. June: A special place. April: Sycamore. February: Detective ThemeNovember: Green. Sept.  Ghostly Themes. July: LANDSCAPE May: PARTY CITY.
March: Ancient Elements.
Jan: take a known theme and arrange in in a new way.
New Challenge for October / November a piece inspired by an artwork.  August / September '23: compose a piece based upon a descending bassline.  
Summer Challenge:a piece inspired something in the news.
April / May Challenge: a cover version with a new arrangement.
Previous challenges this year:  Hazy days of Summer, New Orleans, Jubilee Music, 'Furniture Music' as inspired by Erik Satie. Ambient background music.
December 21, challenge: a composition or arrangement conveying a mood, emotional state.
Autumn challenge '21: a hora using a Klezmer scale, Winter: a piece inspired by a book.
May June: an arrangement in a particular style of another composer or genre.
Challenge for Jan/Feb Carnival, March/ April American presidents.

October - November : Autumn Leaves
July - Septembber A Sea Composition
April- June Time passing
Task for Feb / March: composition about the animal world.
January: an ICY composition.
Nov / Dec: A Latin tune. Task for September / October:  Music with a poem as a startling point.
June July 2019 A Cajun inspired piece
April May 2019 A composition about myths and legends.
February March 2019 A song with chord structure I V V I. November / December 2018: a piece in 7/8.
Task for October: music to chill to.
Task for August / September: Write a piece of music influenced by someone else - ideally a friend, colleague or family member.  The influence could be a saying that that person always uses or a snatch of a melody they always hum. June July 2018 The theme of travel: a journey, trip, jaunt, ride, voyage, flight, walk, stroll, train journey, etc,
April May 2018 An piece using slowly changing ostinato. 
March 2018, a percussion-led piece.
Present composing task: a piece with a sense of place. November: Telephone hold music, or its impact on the listener.
Sept /October: 'A composition based upon a single chord or motif'' ....... Listen to 'Tunesmiths' who set each other composing tasks throughout the year and share the results of their work here……. any one can take up the challenge…. let us know if you want to post a composition

2017 August: 'Dementia'
2017 June: 'Something in the news'
2017 March: a composition with an irregular time signature.
2017 Jan: write a  piece inspired by the wind. 
2016 Nov Winter: Fandango
2016 Oct Challenge:Machine Music
2016 Sept Challenge: Classical Cheese
2016 Aug Challenge: Night Music
2016 July Challenge: a Tarantella
2016 June Challenge: a Reggae
2016 May Challenge: a blues
2016 March Challenge. Write in the style of your music hero
2016 January Challenge: Write in the form of 'La Folía' 
2015 December Challenge: Christmas single
2015 November Space Music
2015 September Challenge: a Waltz
2015 Summer Challenge: 'Minimalist Music'
2015 June challenge: 'Dance Music'
2015 April challenge: a piece with Indian feel
2015 February Composing Challenge A piece about water.
2014 Nov. Composing Challenge:  a piece of music that consists of only percussion and the human voice

George Winston grew up mainly in Montana, and also spent his later formative years in Mississippi and Florida. During this time, his favorite music was instrumental rock and instrumental R&B, including Floyd Cramer, the Ventures, Booker T & The MG’s, Jimmy Smith, and many more. Inspired by R&B, jazz, Blues and rock (especially the Doors), George began playing organ in 1967. In 1971 he switched to the acoustic piano after hearing recordings from the 1920s and the 1930s by the legendary stride pianists Thomas “Fats” Waller and the late Teddy Wilson. In addition to working on stride piano, he also at this time came up with his own style of melodic instrumental music on solo piano, called folk piano. 

Since 1972 George has released thirteen solo piano albums: AUTUMN (1980), WINTER INTO SPRING (1982), DECEMBER (1982), SUMMER (1991), FOREST (1994), LINUS & LUCY-THE MUSIC OF VINCE GUARALDI (1996), PLAINS (1999), which was inspired by his Eastern Montana upbringing, NIGHT DIVIDES THE DAY - THE MUSIC OF THE DOORS (2002), MONTANA-A LOVE STORY (2004) and GULF COAST BLUES & IMPRESSIONS-A HURRICANE RELIEF BENEFIT (2006). His most recent recording are LOVE WILL COME - THE MUSIC OF VINCE GUARALDI VOL 2 (2010), and GULF COAST BLUES & IMPRESSIONS 2-A LOUISIANA WETLANDS BENEFIT (2012).
In 2001 George released REMEMBRANCE - A MEMORIAL BENEFIT, a seven song EP of piano, guitar and harmonica solos, to benefit those affected by 9/11.  He has also worked with the late George Levenson of Informed Democracy (www.informeddemocracy.com) on three projects: a solo guitar soundtrack for SADAKO AND THE THOUSAND PAPER CRANES, and soundtracks of piano, guitar and, harmonica solos for PUMPKIN CIRCLE, and BREAD COMES TO LIFE. In addition, he has recorded the solo piano soundtrack for the children’s story THE VELVETEEN RABBIT for Rabbit Ears Productions. 	

George is presently concentrating mainly on live performances, and most of the time he is touring playing solo piano concerts (the Summer Show or the Winter Show), solo guitar concerts, solo harmonica concerts, and solo piano dances (with R&B and slow dance songs). 

He is currently most inspired by the great New Orleans R&B pianists Henry Butler, James Booker, Professor Longhair, Dr. John, and Jon Cleary, and he is also working on interpreting pieces on solo piano by his favorite composers, including Vince Guaraldi, Professor Longhair, and the Doors, as well as Sam Cooke, Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, Randy Newman, Curtis Mayfield, Laura Nyro, Al Kooper, Jimmy Wisner, Arthur Lee, Frank Zappa, Ralph Towner, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, John Coltrane, Milt Jackson, John Hartford, Oliver Schroer, Taj Mahal, Henry Butler, James Booker, Jon Cleary, Philip Aaberg and others, to play at concerts, and at his solo piano dances.

George is also working on solo guitar and is recording the masters of the Hawaiian Slack Key guitar for an extensive series of albums for Dancing Cat Records (www.dancingcat.com). Slack Key is the name for the beautiful solo fingerstyle guitar tradition, unique to Hawaii, which began in the early 1800s and predated the steel guitar by over half a century. 

He is also recording his main inspirations for his harmonica playing: Sam Hinton, Rick Epping, and Curt Bouterse.

Piano: George Winston plays Steinway Pianos
Guitar: Martin D -35 (1966), with low 7th string added
Harmonica: Hohner Big Rivers & Cross Harps, key of low D


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