All of the artist’s proceeds from this album will go directly to the Dancing Cat Benefit Fund to be distributed to organizations helping people on the Gulf Coast and in New Orleans to rebuild and return - organizations such as Common Ground, and ACORN, and others.

ACORN did a great job helping the pianist who I have studied the most since 1985, Henry Butler – see http://acorn.org/index.php?id=10358&L=0, and click on the two URLs at the bottom, including a slide show of pictures of Henry's house and the Lower Ninth Ward, with a great soundtrack of him performing Leonard Bernstein’s Somewhere (A Place for Us); and also see www.henrybutler.com.

The great New Orleans R&B pianists are the ones who have inspired me to play the most (along with stride pianists Thomas “Fats” Waller and Teddy Wilson) - especially the late Professor Longhair, the late James Booker, and Henry Butler, as well as Dr. John and Jon Cleary;
- and also New Orleans pianists Allen Toussaint, Tom McDermott, Amasa Miller, the late Ronnie Barron, Harry Connick, Jr., Josh Paxton, Joe Krown, Davell Crawford, James “Sugarboy” Crawford, Eddie Bo, Champion Jack Dupree, Art Neville, Fats Domino, David Thomas Roberts, Willie Tee, David Torkanowsky, Ellis Marsalis, Isidore “Tuts” Washington, Ronnie Cole, Eurreal “Little Brother” Montgomery, Roosevelt Sykes, Ferdinand “Jelly Roll” Morton, Tony Jackson, Louis Moreau Gottschalk, and more.

1. New Orleans Shall Rise Again (2:43)
(George Winston – Dancing Cat Music, BMI)

Inspired by the New Orleans pianist/composer Allen Toussaint, as well as New Orleans pianists James Booker, Henry Butler, Dr. John, and Ferdinand “Jelly Roll” Morton. .

Also see www.nynorecords.com/allen.shtml

2. Creole Moon (6:23)
(Dr. John – Bug Music/Fonkalot Music, BMI)

By the New Orleans pianist and ambassador Dr. John, from his 2001 album CREOLE MOON.

Also see www.drjohn.org

3. Pixie (5:16)
(James Booker – Cotillion Music, BMI)

By the late great New Orleans pianist James Booker (1939-1983). James Booker was the first one to take R&B, Soul music, Blues, New Orleans music and the Professor Longhair and Ray Charles influences, and make a whole solo piano style from all these traditions and more, which encompassed seven different ways of playing.
This song is from his solo piano 1976 album JUNCO PARTNER, the album I have learned more from than any other album about how I want to play the piano. James Booker is the pianist who has influenced my overall piano playing the most, and when arranging pieces to interpret I usually involuntarily think of playing the piano in terms of several of his piano languages.

I have recently been doing more solo piano dances playing R&B, slow dance songs and more, and most of those songs I play in ways that I learned from James Booker, as well as from Henry Butler and Professor Longhair.

Also see www.georgewinston.com/faqs.html#booker

4. The Breaks (4:15)

By the New Orleans R&B and Jazz pianist Henry Butler, from his 1992 album BLUES & MORE, VOLUME 1. Henry is the pianist I have been studying the most since I first heard him in 1985. In my view, he has taken R&B piano to its ultimate height, and you need to see him live to fully experience his music.

Also see www.henrybutler.com and www.georgewinston.com/faqs.html#butler

5. Pixie #3 [Gobajie] (4:17)
(George Winston – Dancing Cat Music, BMI)

Inspired by the late New Orleans pianist James Booker.
Gobajie (1984-1997) was a kitty who loved music. She would listen attentively to live playing or recordings, and whenever the music stopped she would respond by singing.
(There is also a song Pixie #2, also inspired by James Booker, that will be on a future recording).

6. Stevenson (1:57)
(George Winston – Dancing Cat Music, BMI)

Dedicated to my dear late friend, New Orleans filmmaker Stevenson J. Palfi (1952-2005), who made the wonderful film PIANO PLAYERS RARELY EVER PLAY TOGETHER about the New Orleans pianists Professor Longhair, Allen Toussaint, and Isidore “Tuts” Washington. He also produced the film SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT about the late violinist Papa John Creach, and the upcoming documentary release SONGWRITER, UNKNOWN about the New Orleans composer/pianist Allen Toussaint.

7. Gulf Coast Lullaby – part 1 (2:38)
(George Winston – Dancing Cat Music, BMI)

8. Gulf Coast Lullaby - part 2 (2:51)
(George Winston – Dancing Cat Music, BMI)

9. When the Saints Go Marching In (11:55)
(traditional New Orleans, arranged by George Winston - Dancing Cat Music, BMI)

The way I play this song is influenced and inspired by New Orleans pianists Henry Butler, James Booker, and Dr. John, as well as Jon Cleary; and also by the South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim (who has also recorded under the name Dollar Brand), as well as stride pianists Thomas “Fats” Waller (1904-1939), Teddy Wilson (1912-1986), and Earl Hines (1905-1983).
Also see:
www.henrybutler.com
www.georgewinston.com/faqs.html#booker
www.drjohn.org
www.joncleary.com
www.abdullahibrahim.com
www.redhotjazz.com/fats.html & www.georgewinston.com/faqs.html#fats
www.georgewinston.com/faqs.html#teddy
www.redhotjazz.com/hines.html

10. Blues for Fess, Beloved (4:56)
(George Winston – Dancing Cat Music, BMI)

Inspired by the late great New Orleans pianist Professor Longhair (Henry Roeland Byrd, 1918-1980), who was the founder of the New Orleans R&B piano scene in the late 1940s. He inspired and influenced so many pianists and musicians in New Orleans and beyond, including the New Orleans pianists James Booker, Henry Butler, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Jon Cleary, Fats Domino, Huey Smith, Art Neville, and many others.
My next solo piano album will be titled BELOVED–THE MUSIC OF PROFESSOR LONGHAIR

Also see www.professorlonghair.com and www.georgewinston.com/faqs.html#longhair

Cover photo: Louisiana Landscape, a hand tinted photograph by Louisiana photographer Harriet Blum, taken of the marsh near Lake Pontchartrain on Bayou Bonfouca, Slidell, Louisiana, not far from the Gulf of Mexico. www.harrietblum.com

Produced by George Winston. Production assistance by Howard Johnston and Cathy Econom. A Dancing Cat Production

Engineered by Howard Johnston

Additional engineering by Loredana Crisan, Justin Lieberman, Rachel Allgood, Matt Silveira, Tyler Crowder, and Aaron DeMatteo

Mastered by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Hollywood, CA.

Piano technician: John Pfeifer

Art direction/ design by Frank Harkins

Editorial assistance by Chris Orrall

Research assistance by Gail Korich and Chris Orrall

Special thanks to:

the late Stevenson Palfi, Alfred Palfi, Nell Palfi, Polly Waring, Henry Butler, the late Henry Roeland Byrd (Professor Longhair), the late James Booker, Dr John, Jon Cleary, Allen Toussaint, Thomas “Fats” Waller, the late Teddy Wilson, the late Earl Hines, Beverly Cook, Ling-Wen Tsai, Rick Epping, Sam Hinton, Pua Lilia, Eve Rantzer, Martha Benedict, John Pfeifer, Tony & Sally & Kenji & Kitter Espinoza, Bernie Grundman, Colin Chambers & Marie Lewis at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Linda Moody, Tammy Fortin, Marci Wolfe, Diane Nangala Stanitski, Chris Orrall, Sondra Daly, Wei-Shan Liu, Teri Untalan, <k, Kimberly Contreras, Simone Dreifuss, Janathan Miller, Andre Routi, Madalyn Suozzo, Margaret Ezekiel, Allyson Adams, Kevin O’Halloran, Kesa Duffy, Cindy, Angela, Daisy, Anne Peery, Kathy Ryuts, Mary Boyle, Carol Ferron, Marlys Sowell, Arlene Schar, Annette Sendak, Lina Sorrentino, Laurie Snedden, Frosty & Beth & Asher Horton, Shad & Angie Weathersby, John & Denise Meunier, Harriet Blum, Marc & Ann Savoy, Sam Broussard, Curt Bouterse, Steve Ferguson, Wendy Waldman, the late Ted Greene, Barbara Franklin, Michael Boshears, Sheila Devitt, Helen Mulroney, Jill Rittermal, Connie Knight, Pamela Sacco, Cindy Sealy, Diane Rhoades, Terri Krakower, Po Mahina, Sandy Ritz, the late Joe Stribling, Tish & John-Michael Stribling, Susan & Bill Bailey, Arthur Hewitt, Tony Hewitt, Monica Blache, Danielle Thibeaux, Kathryn Dipuppo, Gary Stiffelman, Paula Perlis, and Wendy Dubit; everyone at Dancing Cat; Jeb Hart, Stacie Negas, Nathan Sedlander & everyone at BMG/Sony; and all my friends & everyone in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas.

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