Spazzy Winston Plays a Tribute to Bud Powell at the Museum of the City of New York

Born in Harlem in 1924, Powell achieved his greatest expression as a jazz pianist in the style known as “Bebop." He was a great influence on most of his more well-known contemporaries like Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis.

The program includes some of Powell's most famous compositions - “Celia" and “Glass Enclosure" to name a few. Mr. Winston will be performing on Saturday, June 25th, at 2 pm.

It is difficult to determine whether Paul Gabriel Winston prefers jazz or classical music as he plays both with a compassion and reverence that exceeds most of our contemporary pianists.

His graying hair and metal-framed glasses give the appearance of a literature professor, (a discipline in which he majored at NYU), but once you hear the sounds of his piano echoing the tunes of Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk you know that you’ve been a victim of a pleasant façade. His mother, a former teacher on the extension faculty of The Juilliard and The Manhattan School of Music was his first influence, as he began his lessons at the age of four.

Paul has played and recorded with such renowned artists as Ron Carter, Cecil McBee, Joe Chambers, Brian Smith, Rochelle Thompson, Mike Campeni, Wayne Henderson, Radu Williams and Ibrahim Saadiq. Venues include the Knickerbocker, Circles, Londel’s Supper Club, St. Bart’s “Jazz at Noon”, St. Peter’s Jazz Vespers, The Lafayette Bar and Grill and Parlor Jazz.

Mr. Winston was the musical director for the wonderful production of Marian Anderson: The Lady from Philadelphia that showcased Off-Broadway.

His classical resumé begins with a full-evening ballet that he composed on the story of Beauty and the Beast. The piece has been hailed by Kevin McKenzie, Artistic Director of American Ballet Theater as “a piece which benefits the cause of American music and American classical ballet in particular." Lawrence Rhodes, Director of the Juilliard School of Music’s Dance Division, called the piece “the next step in the history of the full-length ballet."

Paul founded and chaired Touro College’s music department and is editor, essayist and reviewer for NYCBigCityLit, the online literary magazine.

On June 25th at 2 pm, Paul will perform a solo jazz piano tribute to Bud Powell at the Museum of the City of New York at 104th Street and Fifth Avenue. Call (212) 534-1672 for further information or log on to www.mcny.org.