Dancing Cat Records officially announces the first in a series of posthumous albums composed by acclaimed pianist George Winston. Slated for release on August 30, 2024, the latest Winston studio album, entitled Eastern Montana (Dancing Cat Records/Distributed by Valley Entertainment), will feature 10 new compositions (and four covers; all 14 songs are newly recorded) with the first single "Dusk at the Fork in the Road" now available on all major digital retail and streaming platforms. Lauded as one of the great folk-music pianists of the last half century, Winston passed away in June 2023 after a 10-year battle with cancer. His legacy of emotive, introspective, and raucous New Orleans-style piano songs lives on in the hearts and minds of his devoted following of listeners with Eastern Montana and subsequently releases adding to an already legendary catalog of recordings.
Dedicated George Winston fans are well-versed on the insurmountable impact his home-state of Montana had on his life and music. Winston was at times very open in interviews about its astonishing topography, great people, and the beautiful music of the Western Meadowlark that served as a major source of inspiration in his writing of iconic compositions. His album, AUTUMN, is mainly about Miles City and DECEMBER is about Billings; two areas in Eastern Montana where he grew up during the 1950's and early 1960's. Born in 1949, these formative years framed how he thought about everything. Its natural wonders provided a spark of virtuosity for the musical genius as he thrived through the seasons.
"The seasons are so extremely different in Eastern Montana, that I thought of life as four different worlds," once said George Winston. "I experienced the last years of an older way of living: there was no television, only one radio station, telephones were party lines, you made a phone call by asking an operator to dial the number, and trains were the main way to travel. So, for me the seasons were the whole entertainment: jumping into a pile of blazing yellow Cottonwood leaves in the Autumn; making a snowman and going sledding in the Winter; playing baseball in the glorious Spring; and going swimming in the Summer. Miles City to this day remains the center of the universe for me musically, for the visions that come to me in my head when playing and listening to music."
Eastern Montana features a collection of 10 newly recorded compositions by Winston that harken back to earlier stages of his illustrious career with gorgeous, reflective song patterns turning listeners into wayfarers on a soulful journey. Original songs include "Spring," "Dusk at the Fork in the Road," "Montana Northern Plains," "High Plains Lullaby 2," "Meadowlarks," "Lullaby for Everyone," "Dance in A♭," "Browning Montana," "Rain on the Window," and "WKAT." Four additional cover songs are "I Wish I Was a Cowboy" (Michael Hedges), "Soul of Limestone Rock" (Jeremiah McLane/Keith Murphy), "Prairie in the Sky" (Mary McCaslin), and "Nature Boy" (eden ahbez).
Winston's record label Dancing Cat Records with co-producer Cathy Econom and project coordinator Gail Korich along with his two longtime studio engineers and co-producers Howard Johnston and Sean M. Lennon finished Eastern Montana after Winston had culled through 150 compositions with them to develop the final song selection. Eastern Montana was born in 2019 featuring songs recorded at five different studios in California, and one studio in Pennsylvania. Now, five years later, its ready for the world to hear.
"I met George in the early '80s when he was really well-known and we did his third album, DECEMBER, together and I've been with him ever since," says engineer Howard Johnston. "I'll never forget when George came into Different Fur studios and heard the piano that owner Pat Gleeson brought from Japan. It was a Yamaha grand from the '60s. George loved it so much that he purchased it in the early '70s. When we would record George, I'd use around 11-12 microphones; a style that predates Dolby Atmos. George would move the piano around the studio until he found the right spot where the piano sounded best. Sometimes, the piano would end up in some pretty inconvenient locations, but of course, it was well worth it. George really interacted with the piano, from plucking the strings to manipulating the harmonics and overtones to playing with shoeless feet to better feel the music. He was truly exceptional."
Engineer Sean M. Lennon, adds, "Looking back, what really impresses me the most about George is he had a completely insane work ethic. 24 hours a day, he was either playing the piano, thinking about his records, making notes, or he was on the road touring. When off the road, he was in the studio and when his material was completed, he'd turn to working with Hawaiian slack key guitar players. He never had a vacation, he was so driven, it was awe-inspiring to witness it."
"Working on Eastern Montana was such a special experience for me, as usually George would be very hands on in all phases of the project. Luckily, George always planned ahead and left extensive notes, which brought this beautiful album to life," says project coordinator Gail Korich.
Co-producer Cathy Econom comments, "I am in awe of how much and how well George had been preparing us to be able to finish and release his recordings on Eastern Montana. Sean and Gail were essential in mining George's detailed notes, so that we are now able to have this very beautiful album that George had been working on for several years."
As we celebrate the life and music of George with the release of Eastern Montana, may his music continue to be a part of the heartfelt memories and traditions created over these last 40+ years. Eastern Montana will be available on CD at retail stores across the country as well as on major digital retailers on August 30, 2024. For more information regarding George Winston, please visit: georgewinston.com
George Winston -- Eastern Montana
1. Spring
2. I Wish I Was a Cowboy
3. Dusk at the Fork in the Road
4. Soul of Limestone Rock
5. Montana Northern Plains
6. High Plains Lullaby 2
7. Meadowlarks
8. Lullaby for Everyone
9. Dance in A♭
10. Prairie in the Sky
11. Browning Montana
12. Nature Boy
13. Rain on the Window
14. WKAT
