Review from www.allmusic.com of today's release from George Winston of

"Night Divides The Day - Music of The Doors"

(thanks, Chris)

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=GNUAGE&sql=A99jxlfweacqp

This seminal new age pianist has sold zillions of recordings with songs that reflect the quieter moments of the human spirit. It's clear from his phenomenal tribute to Vince Guaraldi and this irresistible tribute to The Doors that it takes the music of others to truly tap into a deeper place that gives variety, spunk and magical energy to his playing. What makes this project so intense is the variety of moods he creates, the imaginative way he modulates from dark and haunting, lower register chord poundings and upper register whimsy. The most dramatic example of this contrast comes in the first few minutes of "Riders on the Storm," which begins building with ominous horror movie-type tones, then adds a swirling wind of high toned harmony on top of the dark melody. The opener "Spanish Caravan" has a cavernous echo and a classical chamber music vibe, while the somber take on "The Crystal Ship" is more in the mainstream new age realm. "Love Street" is given a bright, meditative, upper register quality, while "Love Me Two Times" and "Love Her Madly" are a bouncy, Stride-piano influenced toe-tapping affairs. It's a tribute to Winston's honest love of the Doors influence that he puts their trademark "Light My Fire" lower in the tracking, as if not to be overly commercial. He plays its ten minutes in split moods, from the funky mix of minor chords on the melody and major chords and high register improvisation on the soloing section. Not to mess with success, but one would hope that Winston can always balance his own compositions with these types of labors of love. — Jonathan Widran
[To Top]
    1.     Spanish Caravan - 5:28
    2.     The Crystal Ship - 5:11
    3.     People Are Strange - 3:24
    4.     Love Street - 4:16
    5.     Love Me Two Times - 3:10
    6.     Love Her Madly - 4:32
    7.     Wishful, Sinful - 3:50
    8.     Light My Fire - 9:55
    9.     My Wild Love - 6:08
    10.     Summer's Almost Gone - 5:27
    11.     I Can't See Your Face in My Mind - 4:09
    12.     Riders on the Storm - 7:50
    13.     Bird of Prey - 2:53
[To Top]
 2002 CD Windham Hill 11649

 return to Ida's LA Woman Confidential home page

 for more Doors news and reviews