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December by  Released1982RecordedSeptember/October 1982Studio, San Francisco, California       Length38:54
45:25 (20th Anniversary Edition),  (rerelease)
George Winston chronology
(1982)December
(1982)
(1984)
Professional ratingsReview scoresSourceRating

December is the fourth solo piano album from . It was recorded during the fall of 1982 and was released at the end of the year. It is a , and more generally a tribute to the winter season. The album is a follow up to  from earlier in 1982.

December is Winston's highest-selling album, having been certified triple Platinum by the RIAA, signifying 3 million copies in shipment. The success of the album, along with several of Winston's other albums from the early 1980s, enabled the record label, , to get international distribution and a higher profile. The album also spent 136 weeks on the , reaching a peak of No. 54 in January 1984, over a year after its original release. In 1987, five years after its release, it reached No. 2 on Billboard's Top Holiday Albums chart.

A 20th Anniversary Edition of the album, with two bonus tracks, was released in 2001. The album was again reissued in 2013 by  with , Winston's own label. This reissue was packaged in a  and features revised cover art.

Critical reception

 critic William Ruhlmann commented that December ranks as "the mother of all solo instrumental albums, and with good reason. Mixing traditional carols with  and a few originals, Winston produces a solo piano album of unparalleled—and undeniable—beauty. How can music be simultaneously stirring and soothing, relaxed yet exalted? Millions have found the answer here, and an industry has spent decades trying to duplicate it."

's editorial staff noted "the album is a classic for a reason—few capture the soft, pensive nature of the season quite like Winston's ."

Track listing

All tracks are written by , except where noted.

Side OneNo.TitleWriter(s)Liner notes by WinstonLength1."Thanksgiving" Inspired by friends and places of 4:042."Jesus, Jesus, Rest Your Head"Originally an Appalachian carol of the late 1800s2:403."", arr. by David QualeyInspired by an arrangement by guitarist David Qualey3:134."Prelude" Inspired by American  jazz pianist 1:165.""; arr. by George Winston 3:566."Night, Part One: Snow"  1:517."Night, Part Two: Midnight"  1:568."Night, Part Three: Minstrels"Inspired by St. Basil's Hymn, a traditional Greek children's New Year's carol based upon a rendition by American  player , from his album Thunderhead (1982)2:00 Side TwoNo.TitleWriter(s)Liner notes by WinstonLength9."Variations on the  by Johann Pachelbel"; arr. by George Winston 5:2110.""Traditional; arr. by George Winston 4:5211."Some Children See Him"One of 15 carols Burt wrote as gifts for friends. The piece was originally a song with lyrics by Wilha Hutson.3:4312."Peace"  4:02Total length:38:54 20th Anniversary Edition bonus tracksNo.TitleWriter(s)Length13."A Christmas Song"2:2514."Sleep Baby Mine"Alfred S. Burt4:06Total length:45:25