Plains

1	Dubuque 2:28
2	Before Barbed Wire 4:20
3	Frangenti 3:54
4	Give Me Your Hand/La Valse Pour Les Pettes Jeunes Filles 2:44
5	No Ke Ano Ahiahi In the Evening Time 5:15
6	Graduation 1:48
7	Teach Me Tonight 4:16
8	Rainsong (Fortune's Lullabye) 4:44
9	Merry Go Round 3:29
10	The Dance 4:51
11	Cloudburst 3:11
12	The Swan 6:17
13	'Ike Ia Ladana queen's Jubilee 6:43
14	Plains Eastern Montana Blues 3:52
15	Angel 6:37
16	Waltz for the Lonely 3:29
17	Sase Sassy 2:10
18	Muliwai 2:41

Barnes & Noble

George Winston's elegantly transparent style inspired a generation of pianists to play simply and from the heart. The music on Plains is a perfect example of his approach: broad melodies evoke images of sturdy barns and strong backbones, of Sunday church choirs and children's games. "Dubuque" lets off some Saturday night steam with a plucky hoedown, while the torch song "Teach Me Tonight" entices with dreams of a New Orleans style, let-your-hair-down romance. Winston performs Philip Aaberg's "Before Barbed Wire," music that captures the essence of the vast Montana landscape. Besides the Americana pieces, Winston expresses his great love for the lyrical grace of Hawaiian music (playing piano and slack-key guitar). Winston's compositions often sound simple and slow (as in the Erik Satie-like "Frangenti"), but his playing gives every piece great stature. Carol Wright

All Music Guide

Like 1994's Forest, George Winston's 2000 album Plains is inspired by the subtle beauty of America's landscapes. Pieces like "Dubuque" and "Muliwai" evoke regions as diverse as Montana's fields and Hawaiian shores, but Winston's distinctive piano stylings unite the songs into a cohesive vision. Though his interpretation of Sammy Cahn's "Teach Me Tonight" is unremarkable, his cover of Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" and originals like "Cloudburst," "The Swan," "Rainsong," and the title track showcase Winston's unique ability to transform nature into expressive piano pieces. Heather Phares