George Winston Concert
How long have I been waiting to attend this concert? George Winston at Orchestra Hall. No mics, no CD scratches, no speakers between us and the music … simply a wooden soundboard vibrating and filling a holiday concert hall. Years. Mykala and I went the Monday before Christmas, parked in the cold parking garage and proceeded to the elevator to get to the skyway. There was a small group waiting, and one member of it hit the down button. The doors opened, but the group simply stared. I advanced a bit, looked in the empty elevator doors, and hesitated, not wanting to violate the laws of common courtesy. Then, with a lazy “ding” the doors slid shut again. I scratched my head and turned around to a Mykala who was beside herself laughing. It must have been an odd sight, to see the door open, and me peer in, only to become confused as the doors shut again. Eventually, though, we made it into the concert hall and took our seats in the 24th row.
George Winston talks not with the voice I expected. His voice matches more his beard and Montana upbringing than it does his melodic and smooth piano playing; I guess that makes more sense, he isn’t some French “artiste” consumed with his “art.” In fact, he is a very modest man, admitting without hesitation that some of the pieces (especially one called “Hold Your Hand”) he is still learning. He announced all of his songs simply from the stage; his Hawaiian Slack Key guitar numbers, one on harmonica from the movie Cold Mountain, and many piano songs. And it was when he simply stated what his second selection would be (a mixture of “Colors” from Autumn and “Tamarack Pines” from Forest) that I knew how amazing listening would be. I learned many parts of that song Colors, and I always thought, “wouldn’t it be wonderful to see his hands to get a better, smoother grasp of this song?” I had my opportunity. Nevertheless, I simply could not follow some of the songs - one called “Car Chase” just blew me away with its speed, technical requirements, and unbelievably complex swing/jazz ryhthms. In addition to the amazing music (Carol of the Bells blended with “Clouds” from Plains was particularly captivating), I finally got that priceless opportunity to see how this man plays. See, he strikes piano keys not as if they were electronic keys with two options (“on” or “off”), but with the understanding that piano keys are mechnical … he plays them with the same sensitivity people pluck guitar strings. Gaining this understanding, that piano keys respond best not when hit but when played, could very well help me take many of my songs and make them more musical.
Most memorable, however, was how live music can move you. No electronic amplification to get in the way, one feels a very visceral connection to what is occurring onstage. For many parts of the evening, I simply closed my eyes and really listened to what I could hear - it was not something I will forget soon.