Portal:Rhythm and blues/Selected article/17

Winter in America is a studio album by American soul musician and poet Gil Scott-Heron and musician Brian Jackson, released in May 1974 on Strata-East Records. Recording sessions for the album took place on three recording dates in September and October 1973 at D&B Sound Studio in Silver Spring, Maryland. The album serves as the third collaborational effort by Scott-Heron with Jackson, following the latter's contributions on Pieces of a Man (1971) and Free Will (1972). As their first record produced together, it was also the first of their recorded work to have Jackson receive co-billing for a release. Winter in America features introspective, socially-conscious lyrics by Scott-Heron with mellow instrumentation stylistically rooted in jazz and the blues. Jackson's free jazz arrangements accompany the fusion, which Scott-Heron dubbed as "bluesology". The album contains proto-rap elements such as spoken word-vocalization and stripped-down production, which allowed them to rely on traditional African and R&B sounds.

Winter in America serves as Gil Scott-Heron's and Brian Jackson's debut album for Strata-East Records following a dispute with their former label and departure, while also serving as the two musicians' only release for the independent jazz label. Upon its release, the album featured limited distribution in the United States and eventually became a rarity for record collectors prior to its subsequent U.S. re-release. However, with the help of its only single "The Bottle", Winter in America proved to be Scott-Heron's and Jackson's breakthrough effort, as well as a commercial success in comparison to their previous work.

The album proved to be Gil Scott-Heron's and Brian Jackson's most critically acclaimed release and has often been viewed by many music writers and critics as their greatest work. In addition to earning such critical acclaim, Winter in America has also been noted by several critics for its influence on such music genres as neo soul and hip hop music, as the genre's artists have been influenced by Scott-Heron's and Jackson's unique approach regarding lyricism and sound. On March 10, 1998, Winter in America was reissued on compact disc for the first time in the United States by Gil Scott-Heron's Rumal-Gia Records.