I just got back from an incredible concert.

About ten years ago, I discovered the captivating music of George Winston. His piano playing has been called "the signature sound of the Windham Hill label." I started out with his "December" album and gradually added to my collection until now I have just about all of them, except for the latest. I'll get that one as soon as BMG starts stocking it.

About a month ago I was driving to work one morning when they announced on the radio that Winston would be performing one night only at the Strand Capitol in downtown York! The first thing I did when I arrived at work that morning was log onto the website and purchase tickets. I surprised my wife with them on our anniversary.

So tonight was the concert, and it was incredible. I was very impressed with George. He seemed very modest about his talents; after every piece concluded and the applause died down, he very simply thanked the audience and introduced his next number. He was casually dressed in jeans and a green sweater. If I didn't know what he looked like, I wouldn't be able to pick him out in a crowd. I still might not, now that I do.

I've never seen anyone play the piano like George Winston plays it. Ever since I got his album "Forest," I'd wondered how he made the unique sounds come from the piano at the end of the song "Tamarack Pines." The man actually plays with one hand while reaching INSIDE the piano with the other and mutes the strings manually. There was one song where it looked like George was karate-chopping a single key with one hand to get a louder, more percussive sound on that note.

He played several medleys of songs from different albums, and some songs from the one album I don't have yet and another that hasn't released yet. Also, on his "Remembrance" album, there is a harmonica piece and a couple slack-key guitar numbers; I didn't realize that Winston actually played those instruments. During the second half of the concert he played a Louisiana folk tune-inspired harmonica number. He was equally great on the harmonica as on the piano. At one point during the song he picked up a crystal goblet and used it as a sort of improvised mute on the instrument to give it a different sound. I guess that must be how they do it in Louisiana.

Throughout the concert, there was a guitar case lying on the floor, and I wondered when he was going to play it. He finally did for the encore. And what a great way to end the concert. The slack-key Hawaiian guitar sound is very haunting and the song he played was almost entrancing. I'm going to have to look into finding some of his guitar work, or others', to add to my music collection.

So, in conclusion, George Winston RULES. And did I mention that the proceeds of this, and all of his October and November concerts this year are going to hurricane relief? George is just cool that way.