Last Updated 4/3/09

George Winston Influences & Recommended Recordings

These are some of the recordings of some of the artists who have inspired and influenced me the most. It is meant to be a starting point for exploring these artists and not a statement on what is "best". All these artists have more great recordings other than the ones listed here. There are many more artists who inspired me, too numerous to mention here.

Piano

NEW ORLEANS R&B PIANO

James Booker

The first pianist to take rhythm & blues, soul music, the blues, and New Orleans music and make a whole solo piano style out of these traditions and more.

Henry Butler

New Orleans Jazz and R&B pianist - Henry is the pianist I have been studying the most since 1985. He's an incredible live performer and every concert is an event and a phenomenon.

Professor Longhair

New Orleans has a great R&B piano tradition, beginning with the late Professor Longhair’s recordings in 1949, and continuing today. Some of the other great R&B pianists playing there today are Alan Toussaint, Jon Cleary, Tom McDermott, Amasa Miller, Eddie Bo, Art Neville, and Davell Crawford. Professor Longhair also influenced and inspired the late James Booker, Dr. John, Huey Smith, Fats Domino, Harry Connick, Jr., and the late Ronnie Barron. For listing of live performances and information on New Orleans music in general, see OFFBEAT MAGAZINE.
  • NEW ORLEANS PIANO (Atlantic 7225) - Great 1949 and 1953 tracks - New Orleans R&B piano starts here.
  • ROCK 'N' ROLL GUMBO (Dancing Cat 3006) - Great 1974 tracks with the late Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown on guitar. For extended notes click here.
  • THE LONDON CONCERT (JSP Records 202) - English import -1978 concert with just piano and conga.
  • CRAWFISH FIESTA (Alligator 4718) - Fess’ last album from 1980.
  • HOUSE PARTY NEW ORLEANS STYLE (THE LOST SESSIONS 1971-1972) (Rounder Records 2057) - 1971 & 1972 sessions in Baton Rouge and Memphis.
  • MARDI GRAS IN BATON ROUGE (Rhino Records) – more tracks from the 1971 & 1972 sessions in Baton Rouge and Memphis, with horns added later.
  • LIVE ON THE QUEEN MARY (One Way Records) - live performance from 1975 – especially note the great version of Everyday I Have the Blues with Fess’ incredible instrumental piano break.
  • MARDI GRAS IN NEW ORLEANS (Nighthawk Records) – tracks from 1950 – 1957, including his beautiful composition from 1957 Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand.
  • 1949 (Classics Records [French import]) - Fess’ Mercury Records tracks from 1949 or 1950, and the Atlantic tracks from 1949 and 1953 (the Atlantic also appear on the NEW ORLEANS PIANO recording on Atlantic Records).
  • THE NEW ORLEANS SESSIONS 1950 (Bear Family Records) – an out of print LP that has Fess’ 1950 Mercury Records tracks from the recording listed just above, plus four alternate takes (as well as tracks by other artists).
  • COLLECTOR’S CHOICE-FEATURING PROFESSOR LONGHAIR (Rounder Records) – this anthology recording with various artists features 10 tracks by Fess from 1958-1964, including his 1959 hit version of Go To The Mardi Gras, and his 1964 hit versions of Big Chief-Parts 1&2, as well as his first recording of his fast tempo arrangement of his classic composition Hey Now Baby, with the title Cuttin’ Out, and seven other R&B singles from this time period
  • FESS – THE PROFESSOR LONGHAIR ANTHOLOGY (Rhino Records) – this double CD has Fess’ 1959 hit version of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and his 1964 hit version of Big Chief-Part 2, his great 1957 track Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand, and many other studio and live tracks from other years, and extensive liner notes.
  • The 1978 live shows recorded at Tipitina’s – many of these tracks have been issued on three different recordings:
    • THE LAST MARDI GRAS (Atlantic Records) – out of print double LP.
    • RUM AND COKE (Tomato Records)
    • BIG CHIEF (Rhino Records)
  • BALL THE WALL! - LIVE AT TIPITINA’S 1978 (Night Train Records) – a different live show from Tipitina’s in New Orleans
  • BYRD LIVES! (Night Train Records) – double CD of more live 1978 tracks from Tipitina’s in New Orleans – has Fess’ only recording of the Blues standard After Hours, and has three rare solo tracks
  • Professor Longhair is featured in the late Stevenson J. Palfi's documentary PIANO PLAYERS RARELY EVER PLAY TOGETHER - Video available from Alligator Video at 1-800-344-5609.

Dr. John

Jon Cleary

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STRIDE PIANO

Thomas "Fats" Waller

Teddy Wilson

Solo piano: Especially his piano solos in 1934, 1935 and 1937. These are available on the following recordings:

These piano solos are also available on the following six recordings:

With the Benny Goodman Trio & Quartet (with Benny Goodman on clarinet , Teddy Wilson on piano, Gene Cooper on drums, and as quartet Lionel Hampton on vibraphone - Teddy's incredible left hand playing 10th intervals provided the bass for the trio & quartet):

Earl Hines

Donald Lambert

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JAZZ & MELODIC PIANO

Philip Aaberg

Vince Guaraldi

Another Recommended website is the Peanuts Collectors Club

Steve Ferguson

Abdullah Ibrahim (aka Dollar Brand)

Art Lande

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JAZZ ORGAN

Jimmy Smith

Gene Ludwig

Richard “Groove” Holmes

Jimmy McGriff

Larry Young

Little Richie Varola

Guitar

HAWAIIAN SLACK KEY GUITARISTS
(Traditional Solo Fingerpicking Style)

Keola Beamer

Sonny Chillingworth

Cindy Combs

Atta Isaacs (w/Gabby Pahinui)

Ledward Kaapana

George Kahumoku, Jr

Moses Kahumoku

Dennis Kamakahi

Ray Kane

Ozzie Kotani

George Kuo

Leonard Kwan

Cyril Pahinui

James "Bla" Pahinui

Gabby Pahinui

Various Artists

THE HISTORY OF SLACK KEY (Hana Ola Records 24000) - the 20 earliest recorded slack key tracks, including Gabby Pahinui's first recordings from the 1940s and pieces by eight other artists from the late 1940s and early 1950s.

For other Hawaiian slack key guitar recordings, or information on Hawaiian music, contact Hawaiian Music Island or Harry's Music, 3457 Wai'alae Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96816, 808-735-2866.

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OTHER GUITARISTS

Ted Greene

Ted was my main guitar mentor who sadly passed away in July, 2005. The offical site is www.tedgreene.com and here is a site dedicated to his memory - http://www.tedgreene.blogspot.com/ .

Ted Greene was a wonderful guitarist and educator, he was best known for his book Chord Chemistry and for his wonderful recordings of solo guitar that I'm still learning from after hearing it in 1978. Ted's main influences where the last jazz guitarist George Van Eps, Wes Montgomery and many film soundtrack composers such as the late Max Steiner, the late George Duning, and many, many more. Ted played with a deep feeling for every song he played and extending the beauty of those songs with what he called “extended diatonic” harmony, and more.

"Ted played with such pure beauty and feeling, he has influenced and inspired every aspect of my playing since I first heard him in 1977. To this day, everytime I listen to his recording, Solo Guitar, I still hear and learn new things. It is an encyclopedia of beautiful variations. I learned so much and became so motivated each time we talked or got together. He was such a beautiful guy and such a great inspiration to me to be a better person as well as a better musician." - George Winston

Bola Sete

Pierre Bensusan


George Cromarty

  • WIND IN THE HEATHER (Dancing Cat Records DC3001 - Out of Print)
  • GRASSROOTS GUITAR (Thistle Records-731-Out of Print)

Doc Watson

Bruce Cockburn

Taj Mahal

Michael Hedges

Michael has many other fine albums

Daniel Hecht

Alex DeGrassi

Alex has many other fine albums

Chet Atkins

Lonnie Johnson - Great blues guitarist who influenced Robert Johnson and many, many others. Especially his recordings 1925-1932.

  • LONNIE JOHNSON - COMPLETE RECORDED WORKS 1925-1932 - VOL. 2 (1926-1927) (Document Records DOCD-5064) - especially the tracks To Do This, You Got to Know How, Back-Water Blues, and Fickle Mamma Blues.
  • THE ORIGINAL GUITAR WIZARD [Box Set] (Proper Records) - especially the tracks To Do This, You Got to Know How, Back Water Blues, Playing With The Strings, and Stompin'Em Along Slow .
  • THE ESSENTIAL LONNIE JOHNSON (Collectors Edition) - espeically the songs A Way Down the Alley Blues and Blues In G [this album may be hard to find].

John Feeley

Jakob Lindberg

Pat Metheny and Charlie Haden

Wes Montgomery

Michael Barry-Rec

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Harmonica (Acoustic and Solo-Oriented)

Sam Hinton

Rick Epping

Deford Bailey (and other artists)

Phil Murphy

Brendan Power

Donald Black

Richard Hunter

Mark Graham

Various Harmonica Artists:

The Hohner harmonica newsletter EASY REEDING has current harmonica news and information, The subscription is free and current issues are available on the Hohner website. Write to Hohner at Hohner, Inc., P.O. Box 15035, Richmond, VA 23227-0435, or send a request to info@hohnerusa.com.

Appalachian/Old Time Country, & Cajun, & other Related Influences on my Harmonica Playing

Le Gran Mamou - Cajun Music Anthology - The Historic Victor - Bluebird Sessions - 1928-1941 Vol. 1 (Country Music Foundation CMF-013-D)

  • Various Artists - Great early Cajun tracks including, Belle of Point Clair by the great Cajun harmonica player, Artelelus Mistric (one of his two recorded tracks).

Raise Your Window - Cajun Music Anthology - The Historic Victor - Bluebird Sessions - 1928-1941 Vol. 2 (Country Music Foundation CMF-017-D)

  • Various Artists - Great early Cajun tracks from 1928-1941, including, You Belong to Me (Tu Ma Partient) by Cajun harmonica player Arteleus Mistric (one of his two recorded tracks).

Amede Ardoin

Amede was also the great Cajun accordionist player Marc Savoy’s main inspiration and influence.

Dennis McGee

  • THE COMPLETE EARLY RECORDINGS 1929-1930 (Yazoo 2012) - great early Cajun recordings, many that hearken back to early Cajun music from the 1800s. Dennis was the fiddler on twenty of the Amede Ardion tracks played as pure duets (see the two records listed just above).

The Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band

I have been very inspired and influenced by this band which includes three great musicians: accordionist Marc Savoy (he builds them himself at the Savoy Music Center in Eunice, Louisiana) fiddler Michael Doucet (who also leads the great Cajun band, Beausoleil, who have many recordings on Arhoolie and other labels) and rhythm guitarist/vocalist/author/archivist Ann Savoy.

There are many other albums featuring Marc Savoy's great accordion playing, and also many albums featuring Michael Doucet's great fiddle playing including with the Cajun band Beausoleil, on Arhoolie Records.

Wayne Perry

  • CAJUN AND CREOLE MUSIC, VOL. 1: 1934-1937 (Rounder Select 1842) - Compilation album with Wayne Perry and various artists recorded by Alan Lomax.
  • AMERICAN FIDDLE TUNES (Rounder Records - 18964-1518-2) -Wayne has one song on this recording, a great version of Old Joe Clark.

I have been very influenced by the great Cajun fiddler Wayne Perry who recorded only five tracks in 1934, four of which are on this recording. This great recording also features great field recordings by other Cajun artists including the last two tracks featuring harmonica player Ernest LaFitte.

Louis Boudreault

Curt Bouterse

At least two more CDs by Curt are planned

Eck Robertson

The late great and very influential Texas fiddler.
  • OLD TIME TEXAS FIDDLER 1922-1929 (County Records CO-CD-5515) - Earliest recordings including the first country music 78s ever recorded in 1922 (especially hear his great version Sallie Gooden)
  • FAMOUS COWBOY FIDDLER (County Records 202 - out of print) - 1953 record recorded by Mike Seger.

Oliver Schroer

  • JIGZUP (Iona Records - IRCD 039)
  • SMITHERS (Big Dog Music BD0702) - Double CD of 59 original compositions played on fiddle as pure duets with Emilyn Stam on piano.

Marcus Martin

  • WHEN I GET MY NEW HOUSE DONE (Southern Folklife Collection - SFC CD-100)

John Hartford

No harmonica on John's recordings, but he has been a great influence and inspiration on my harmonica and guitar playing, and I also am working on playing his songs and fiddle tune compositions on solo harmonica and solo guitar.

John also has many other fine albums.

Tommy Jarrell

Tommy also has many other fine albums.

Mountain Music of Kentucky

  • (Smithsonian Folkways 40077 ) – Especially the late Kentucky fiddler Marian Sumner’s version of “Lost Indian”

Bruno Morris Dance Band

The Improbabillies

Crooked Still

Michael Barry-Rec

Rebekah Del Rio

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Ensemble

Steve Reich

Soundtrack from the Snowman (CBS FM-39216 - out of print)

Children's story with orchestra music by Howard Blake. George interpreted three of the pieces from this soundtrack on his FOREST recording. (Video available on SONY; soundtrack CD available in Japan with music and narration and with the music alone)

Dominic Frontiere

Frank Zappa (1940-1993) This list here is mainly some of the instrumental music of Frank's. This great, late, 20th century American composer had many facets to him - for more information, go to www.zappa.com.

Randy Newman

Randy also has many other fine albums and soundtracks.

Bob Dylan

Altramar Medieval Music Ensemble

P rocal Harum

These are some of my favorite albums from the renaissance that happened between mid-1965 to early 1973:

The Doors

THE DOORS are re-issuing many live recording and other archives on their own label Bright Midnight Records. Another good Doors site is Doors Collector Magazine - www.doors.com

Al Kooper

Also see the unofficial Love website

Jefferson Airplane

H. P Lovecraft

The Young Rascals (with Felix Cavaliere on organ)

Vanilla Fudge

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Harp

Patrick Ball:

- Patrick also has many other fine albums.

Sylvan Grey

Kim Robertson

- For more recordings by Kim, also see the Winter Season Recordings section below.
- She also has many other fine albums.

Andreas Vollenweider

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Chinese Traditional and Classical/Mongolian & Tuvan Traditional

Gu-Zheng (Chinese zither/ harp):

Wei-Shan Liu - Gu-zheng player. I will be co-producing new solo recordings with her.

  • GREAT OCEAN order from www.guzheng.org
  • MORNING BELL - order from www.guzheng.org
  • THE MAGNIFICIENT BRONZE GORGE (China Record Co. Guangzhou) order from www.guzheng.org
  • MASTERPIECES OF CHINESE SONGS OF THE 30'S (Solar Wind Records - SMCD - 1003) - Features Wei-Shan Liu with a Chinese instrumental ensemble
  • MASTERPIECES OF CHINESE TRADITIONAL MUSIC (SMCD – 1005)

Chen Lei-Shi (Louis Chen) - Gu-zheng player

  • SPRING NIGHT ON A MOONLIGHT RIVER (Nonesuch Explorer Series 9559-72089-1- out of print)
  • LOUIS CHEN PLAYS ZHENG SOLOS (Hugo Productions) - Out of Print

Wu-Fang

  • SO SHIN (Toshiba EMI TOCZ-9276)

Erhu (Chinese two-stringed violin):

Hua Yan-jun (Ah Bing)

Sun Wen-ming

  • COMMEMORATION OF THE RENOWNED FOLK MUSICIAN SUN WEN-MING (ROI Productions Ltd RC-001003-2C)

Zhu Changyao

George Gao

Mongolian & Tuvan Music

Especially inspiring my harmonica playing (and also known as the Morin Huur, the Morin Khuur, the Morin Xuur, the Morin Khor and the Marinhur), the Mongolian deep sounding two-string bowed instrument that got its name from its horse-head shape, especially the playing of these three musicians:

For more information on Chinese classical and traditional music, see thee links page and FAQ, UNDER Guitar Related Questions, #3.

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Winter Season Recordings

Altramar Medieval Music Ensemble

Alfred Burt

  • A CAPPELA CAROLS: A COMPLETE COLLECTION OF THE ALFRED S. BURT CAROLS (Lindsborg Press L0112 CA)
  • A CHRISTMAS PRESENT FROM THE CAROLING COMPANY (Variety Artist Group VAG4224) - 25 a cappella vocal arrangements of carols, including 8 Alfred Burt carols. www.alfredburtcarols.com

Joseph Byrd: A CHRISTMAS YET TO COME (Takoma 1046) - (out of print)

John Fahey: THE NEW POSSIBILITY (Takoma 7020)

Vince Guaraldi - A THE CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS (Fantasy 8431)

John McCutcheon - WINTER SOLSTICE (Rounder 192) - including the great song Christmas In The Trenches, a true story

GREGORIAN CHANTS FROM HUNGARY (HungarLPX 11477)

Kim Robertson

John Roth - DECEMBER DREAMS (Rosewood Music C-1005)

Jose Feliciano - FELIZ NAVIDAD - guitar, instrumental and vocals - reissue of 1970 album with three bonus tracks

Various Artists/Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar

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Other Arts

Marci Wolf - Tanglewood Forest

Ling-Wen Tsai - Deep and wonderful visual and performance artist, and beyond. Her work has been very inspirational and essential in many ways for my growth on all three instruments that I play, as well as personally.

Costanza Knight - Beautiful watercolor art and more from an artist who has inspired and influenced me for decades.

Margaret Ezekiel - Painter – the beauty and soul of Hawaii and beyond.

Book - Why Cats Paint: A Theory of Feline Aesthetics by Heather Busch and Burton Silver (Ten Speed Press)

Book - Dancing With Cats by Heather Busch, Burton Silver and Shakya Bahrain (Chronicle Books)

For other influences go to the Links Section and see Additional Music Sites; and Other Arts; and Health, General Service, Ecology & Science

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