Pianist returns with rosy repertoire> George Winston brings Charlie Brown, R&B-tinged good time to Orono

George Winston is not a pianist people feel neutral about. They either find it soothing to listen to his rippling chords and impassioned repetitions. Or they think of it as a kind of musical Chinese water torture.

Last night’s audience members, who filled about 700 seats for a Winston concert at the Maine Center for the Arts, consisted largely of those who like to relax to the music of this somewhat nerdy and immensely popular Windham Hill protege. There were also those who came to support the Dorothy Day Soup Kitchen, which benefited from the sales of items in the lobby.

Winston is no stranger to Orono, and most recently visited four years ago. He’s still playing from that same rose-colored repertoire that made him the unmistakable idol among new-agers back in the 1970s. This time, he presented the “winter show,” which seemed antithetical to his stocking feet. It nevertheless warmed a house full of cheery fans, who otherwise might not have appreciated being reminded of the six months of winter ahead.

The program relied heavily on works by Vince Guaraldi, best known as composer for music to the Charlie Brown TV shows. While Winston played some medleys featuring Guaraldi’s works, it was the familiar “Linus and Lucy” that really got heads bobbing — presumably with fond memories of those darn good cartoons.

When Winston wasn’t playing Guaraldi, he played some of his own compositions and other works inspired by jazz and R&B musicians he admires. Winston was kind enough to announce the pieces from the stage, but for anyone who missed the specifics, he provided a broad written program of selected discography (which one audience member called a “syllabus for how to be George Winston”).

A lively treat in the show was Winston’s dizzying performance of a Hawaiian tune played in the slack-key guitar style, which was fully explained in an eight-page booklet including a history of the tradition and a bodacious listing of recommended recordings. Winston also played a prodigiously clean selection of Irish tunes on his harmonica.

This is the perfect concert to describe with that warhorse cliche: A good time was had by all. Winston’s music is good-time music — in a simple and unsubtle way. At its best, it can be reassuring. And at its worst, it could drive someone to blast Beethoven in the streets. So there’s no way to lose with this one.