George Winstone

Born in London, the rising star saxophonist George Winstone relocated to New York City in March 2019, bolstered by the endorsements of music legends Chick Corea, Jacob Collier, Ben Monder, and Chris Potter. With his characteristically warm sound, daring technical concept, and adventurous spirit, Winstone is poised as a new voice in contemporary music: one whose vision for the future is beholden to an expansive sense of the past. His latest effort, Odysseus, is a striking duo improvisation with the iconic guitarist Ben Monder. Spontaneously composed from beginning to end, it juxtaposes an entire journey’s-worth of Winstone’s darting melodies against Monder’s haunting glacial soundscapes. Odysseus is now available worldwide.

In his migration to New York City—made one year before the beginning of the pandemic—what drove the young saxophonist an ocean away from home was a sense, long-felt, that his place was really in the United States. “Instinctively, I felt there would be more space for me to grow as an artist,” he reflects. “For the Americans, the jazz tradition: it’s part of your land, your history, in a very visceral way. There’s an exuberance of spirit and a playfulness that occurs in the American musicians: a freedom.”

Rewarded for his dedication to a bold, personal vision, Winstone’s career in the UK was a series of early successes. He attended Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music, one of Europe’s top music schools. As a leader, he earned feature spots at London in-crowd establishments, including the legendary Ronnie Scott’s, Jazz in the Round at the Cockpit Theatre, The Verdict, and The Vortex.