Liner Notes - Montana - A Love Story

1. Thumbelina (3:52)
(Mark Isham; Earle-Tones Music, ASCAP)

From Mark Isham’s score for the Rabbit Ears Productions video and soundtrack recording of the classic children’s story THUMBELINA.

Mark has recorded many other great soundtracks for feature films and children’s stories, as well as jazz and impressionistic albums. I also recorded his song Love Song for a Ballerina, from his score for the Rabbit Ears version of the children’s story THE STEADFAST TIN SOLDIER, on my solo piano album FOREST.

I am also inspired by his soundtrack for the Rabbit Ears production of the children’s story THE EMPEROR AND THE NIGHTINGALE. The music from these three stories and more are also on his album SONGS MY CHILDREN TAUGHT ME. www.isham.com

2. Billy in the Low Land (2:32)
(Traditional, arranged by George Winston and Rick Epping; Dancing Cat Music, BMI/Rick Epping)

A variation of an American fiddle tune (not to be confused with the well known fiddle tune Billy In the Low Ground). This song goes back to at least the early 1900s. I first learned it from one of my main harmonica mentors, Rick Epping, and I originally played it as a solo harmonica piece. Rick learned it from Bertram Levy of the Hollow Rock String Band, and it is on their reissued recording HOLLOW ROCK LEGACY; and Bertram Levy learned it from the Virginia fiddler Henry Reed, who called it Old Franklin County Billy in the Low Land. For more on Henry Reed, see the Library of Congress site.

I also learned the fiddle tune Dubuque from Rick, which I recorded on my solo piano album PLAINS. He often plays the two songs as a medley, as I also sometimes do. I am currently recording Rick’s vast solo harmonica repertoire, as well as his harmonica/concertina duets (with him playing both instruments simultaneously). He is also a great harmonica technician and inventor, and he is the Harmonica/Accordion Product Manager for the Hohner Company. Rick has invented a wonderful new harmonica for Hohner, the XB-40, where all the notes can be bent. This is the first major Hohner harmonica innovation since the chromatic harmonica was invented in 1924, and it is a new class of harmonica, a fusion of both the diatonic and the chromatic harmonicas. www.hohnerusa.com

3. Valse Frontenac (4:10)
(Traditional, arranged by Chris Norman and George Winston; Boxwood Music, BMI/Dancing Cat Music, BMI)

I learned this traditional Quebec waltz from flutist Chris Norman, from his album THE BEAUTY OF THE NORTH. I am very inspired by the traditional music of Quebec, especially the playing of the late fiddler from Chicoutimi, Louis Boudreault (1905-1988). Also thanks to Guy Bouchard of Thirty Below music distributors in Quebec and fiddler Lisa Ornstein, for all their great research.

The ending was inspired by the great American singer/ composer Mary McCaslin.

4. The Little House I Used to Live In (2:41)
(Frank Zappa; Munchkin Music Co., ASCAP)

A short modern classical piece by the late great American composer Frank Zappa (1940-1993), first recorded on his 1970 album BURNT WEENIE SANDWICH. He may have started writing it around 1962. When I first heard this piano introduction to the longer part of the ensemble piece played wonderfully by Ian Underwood (a member at that time of Frank’s band The Mothers of Invention), it immediately totally reminded me of the old house I lived in when growing up in Miles City, Montana in the 1950s. I went right to the record player to see what the song was called, and to my amazement, it was The Little House I Used to Live In. This is one of Frank’s earlier versions of this piece, which he later revised. The revised addition appears in THE FRANK ZAPPA SONGBOOK VOL. 1, published in 1973. www.zappa.com

5. Montana Glide (4:14)
(Paul Anastasio; Old Republished Music, BMI)

I learned this song from fiddler Barbara Lamb, from her album FIDDLE FATALE. This song is a staple at the solo piano dances that I am playing more of lately, many of them in Montana, featuring R&B, slow dance songs and more. Composer/ fiddler Paul Anastasio writes for FIDDLER Magazine and THE OLD-TIME HERALD.

6. Nevertheless, Hello (4:53)
(Philip Aaberg; Beautiful Daughter Music, ASCAP/ Mixed Emotion Music, ASCAP)

By the great Montana pianist and composer Philip Aaberg, from his 1987 album OUT OF THE FRAME. I have also recorded two other pieces of his: Spring Creek, on my album SUMMER (learned from Phil’s version on his 1985 solo piano album HIGH PLAINS) and Before Barbed Wire, on my album PLAINS (learned from Phil’s version on OUT OF THE FRAME). I also play live his composition Hill 57, which will be on his upcoming release THE BIG OPEN.www.philipaaberg.com,

7. The Twisting of the Hay Rope (Casadh An tSÚgáin) (2:05)
(Traditional, arranged by Patrick Ball/Tim Britton and George Winston; Patrick Ball/Tim Britton/Dancing Cat Music, BMI)

I play this traditional Irish piece as a Spring love song. I first learned it from the American Celtic harpist Patrick Ball, from his album FIONA, and was also inspired by the very soulful slower version recorded by the Irish group the Bothy Band (with the Gaelic title Casadh An, from their live album AFTER HOURS.

The title can be interpreted as having several deeper meanings: the binding of love and the intertwining of lives; strawings for traditional Irish wedding parties, where hay ropes were twisted and used for strawboys’ costumes; in Spring planting, where bundles of small plants were held together by a long rope of twisted straw; the many traditions of Ireland intertwining together to form Irish culture; and ornaments in traditional Irish music, beautifully twisting and turning around the melody notes.

This song was published in Edward Bunting’s book from 1796, A GENERAL COLLECTION OF THE ANCIENT IRISH MUSIC, which was reprinted in 2002 with his two other wonderful volumes from 1809 and 1840, with the title THE ANCIENT MUSIC OF IRELAND-THE BUNTING COLLECTION, which includes almost 300 Irish melodies. (See www.waltonsmusic.com/publications/collections.htm and www.clarsach.net/sourcebooks.htm).

Thanks to Rick Epping for his help with this information.

8. Joy, Hope, and Peace (2:53)
(Alby Potts; Alby Potts, BMI)

Composed by Alby Potts as part of his score for the ballet A CHRISTMAS JEWEL, which is performed by the Rocky Mountain Ballet Theater of Missoula in Missoula, Montana.www.misterpotts.com

9. You Send Me (3:44)
(Sam Cooke; Abkco Music Inc., BMI)

Composed in 1957 by the late great soul singer and composer Sam Cooke (1931-1964), and it appears on many reissued recordings of his music. This song is another staple at the solo piano dances I play. I also play four other songs of his, Bring It On Home To Me, Wonderful World, Cupid, and A Change is Gonna Come. Also see www.geocities.com/martynb88/cooke.html.

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10. High Plains Lullaby (4:02)
(George Winston; Dancing Cat Music, BMI)

11. The Mountain Winds Call Your Name (2:33)
(George Winston; Dancing Cat Music, BMI)

12. Music Box (Kojo No Tsuki) (1:51)
(Rentaro Taki, arranged by George Winston; JASRAC/Dancing Cat Music, BMI)

Composed around 1900 by the beloved Japanese composer Rentaro Taki (1879-1903).

The title can be loosely translated as “ Moon Over the Old Castle.”

13. Raining In Her (The Muse) (0:58)
(George Winston; Dancing Cat Music, BMI)

14. (Variations on) Bamboo (2:30)
(Traditional, arranged by George Winston; Dancing Cat Music, BMI)

A traditional Chinese lullaby, which I first learned in Taiwan, and is also known as Bao Bei, which can refer to a young child as a treasure.

This arrangement was inspired by my dear friend Ling-Wen Tsai and her deep and wonderful visual and performance art, and her friendship and guidance.www.lingwentsai.com

I have for decades been very inspired and influenced by many of the beautiful and incredibly expressive Chinese music traditions, particularly by the great players of the Gu-Zheng (pronounced “goo-jung” and it is sometimes also spelled Guzheng, Zheng, or Cheng), the Chinese zither/ harp with 16 to 25 strings and an adjustable bridge (and it is the ancestor of the Japanese Koto); especially the playing of these four artists:

1. Wei-Shan Liu (), on her solo instrumental recording THE MAGNIFICIENT BRONZE GORGE (China Record Co. Guangzhou [in Mainland China], and available at her concerts, as well as at the Chinese Art and Music Center in San Francisco, and at the Clarion Music Center in San Francisco). In addition to her beautiful playing, composing, and arranging, Wei-Shan Liu is also the founder of the wonderful San Francisco Gu-Zheng Music Society, which shares Chinese culture and music in many ways through community performances. She is also responsible for the instruction of all its members. I am learning much from her, and I will also be co-producing solo instrumental recordings of her music with her.

Wei-Shan’s teacher was the late Gu-Zheng master Cao Zheng (Tsao Chung). She has also been inspired by the Gu-Zheng masters Chen Lei-Shi (Louis Chen), and the late Liang Tsai-Ping (Liang Zaiping).

2. Chen Lei-Shi (Louis Chen), the Gu-Zheng master and professor from Hong Kong, on his solo instrumental recordings SPRING NIGHT ON A MOONLIGHT RIVER (Nonesuch Explorer Series - out-of-print), and LOUIS CHEN PLAYS ZHENG SOLOS (Hugo Productions)

3. Liang Tsai-Ping (Liang Zaiping), the Gu-Zheng master and professor from Taiwan, on his solo instrumental recording THE CHINESE CHENG–ANCIENT AND MODERN (Lyrichord Records 7302 www.lyrichord.com).

4. Cao Zheng (Tsao Chung), the Gu-Zheng master from Mainland China, and the first one to establish university level Gu-Zheng studies.

I am also inspired by many great players of the Erhu (the Chinese two-string violin), the Pipa (the Chinese lute), and many more Chinese instruments and traditions.

Also especially influencing my harmonica playing are the masters of the Matouqin (also known in Mongolia as the Morin Huur, the Morin Khuur, the Morin Xuur, the Morin Khor, the Marinhur, and the Chaoer), the Mongolian deep sounding two-string bowed instrument that got its name from the carved horse head by the tuning pegs, especially the playing of these two musicians, Qinggele, and Darima, on the recording MATOUQIN (Hugo Productions).

For more information on Chinese music, see these websites:
1. The Hugo Media Group - great selection of CDs and more. Go to www.hugomedia.com for English language, and for Chinese language go to www.hugocd.com.
2. The Chinese Music Society of North America
3. Chinese Culture Net

For an expanded version of these notes on Chinese classical and traditional music and more recommended websites, go to www.georgewinston.com, and see the FAQ section, and go to the question: “How have you been inspired by Chinese traditional music and Chinese classical music?”

Special thanks to Wei-Shan Liu for her help with this information.

15. Goodnight Irene (4:06)
(Huddie Ledbetter; Ludlow Music, BMI)

A waltz by the great American singer/composer/12 string guitarist Huddie Ledbetter (1885-1949), who is better known as Leadbelly. It may have been somewhat based on an older song by the Afro-American composer Gussie Lord Davis from 1886, under the title Irene, Good Night, or possibly based on another older song. Leadbelly may have learned it from his uncle, and possibly came up with his own rendition with his 12 string guitar accompaniment around 1908. He recorded many different versions over the years, which are on many reissued recordings, and all of his recorded tracks are wonderful.

In addition to Irene, some of the compositions and/or songs most associated with Leadbelly are Midnight Special, Rock Island Line, Pig Meat, On a Monday, Bourgeois Blues, Take This Hammer, John Henry, The Titanic, Boll Weevil, and Stewball.

I was also inspired by Ry Cooder’s version from his album CHICKEN SKIN MUSIC.

16. Sweet Soul (Gobajie) (2:35)
(George Winston; Dancing Cat Music, BMI)

There are those who leave a deep indelible imprint on us.

This piece is also influenced by the work of Montana pianist Philip Aaberg, especially his great 1985 solo piano album HIGH PLAINS.

17. Sky (Goobajie) (3:27)
(George Winston; Dancing Cat Music, BMI)

Love beyond wonderment.

Produced by George Winston, Cathy Econom, and Howard Johnston. A Dancing Cat Production.
Engineered by Howard Johnston
Additional engineering by Justin Lieberman, Colin Gradek, and Matt Silveira
The Mountain Winds Call Your Name was recorded at the Sheridan Opera House in Telluride, Colorado, and was engineered by Howard Johnston with additional engineering by Justin Lieberman.
Mastered by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Hollywood, CA
Production assistance by Ling-Wen Tsai and Karen Gebarski
Art direction by Kristin Hambsch and Jennifer Ramsay
Cover photo by Scott T. Smith/Larry Ulrich Stock Photography – www.larryulrich.com.
Editorial assistance by Chris Orrall
Research assistance by Gail Korich and Chris Orrall