Mark Winkler - Late Bloomin' Jazzman

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:20
Size: 117,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:32) 1. It Ain't Necessarily So
(3:25) 2. Don't Be Blue
(4:43) 3. When All the Lights in the Sign Worked
(4:27) 4. Late Bloomin' Jazzman
(3:43) 5. In Another Way
(5:01) 6. Bossa Nova Days
(3:17) 7. Old Devil Moon
(3:44) 8. I Always Had a Thing for You
(4:01) 9. Before You Leave
(4:33) 10. Old Enough
(5:36) 11. Marlena's Memories
(4:13) 12. If Gershwin Had Lived

Anyone who can hold their own on a stage on in a studio with Cheryl Bentyne cannot be all bad, right? Even if one's taste runs more to Harry Connick, Jr than to Mark Murphy, it is difficult not to get seriously into Mark Winkler. Oh, he can sing, for sure, but even if he could not carry a tune, he is a lyricist for the ages. Not all ages, mind you. But for those of a certain age, sensibility, and experience. As people are wont to say of life, "tell me your truth," not tell me the truth. Winkler tells the audience his truth. And more than a few will nod in agreement. Winkler may be a romantic, but he is no fool.

"You're playing better than in your well-regarded youth...the prodigies come and go, don't they?" If there is a mirror image to "September Song," "Late Bloomin' Jazzman" must be it, and Brian Swartz' tart trumpet adds the exclamation point. Yeah, novelty is sometimes confused with talent, or youth with beauty. Is it not, one thinks, the truth of the well-traveled?

"Bossa Nova Days" really drives it home. "I wasn't born for these times, music's not musical, and words don't even rhyme." Winkler remembers being lost in those bossa nova days, "singing of lost romance, sand beneath my feet." You, too, brother? "Take me back," he intones. Well, maybe not to Brazil, but some less exotic shore worked just as well. There were wars in 1967, too, but they had not visited one's doorstep yet. Not better times, but memory convinces otherwise. "Old Enough" explains it all. With ironic good humor. "I'm old enough not to be fooled by the lights and the show." "This time the clever is gone." And one gets it, including, "too many notes and too little feeling." Rueful, but funny. "I'm still young enough to know that I don't know that much." Point taken.

Too sentimental? Maudlin? Then try "Old Devil Moon." Winkler can swing, and he does not try too hard. The musicians are especially well placed here: Rich Eames on piano; Bob Sheppard on tenor sax; Christian Euman on drums; Gabe Davis on bass; and Grant Geissman on guitar, with Brian Swartz playing a solid backup line. Players of this caliber make it easier for a singer to sound good.

"Marlena's Memories" is almost too painful to hear, but a good reminder of how ordinary are the sources of pain. Winkler confesses he once wrote bad songs. Somehow, that seems implausible.

There are twelve tracks here. It really is not possible to write about all of them. And probably not necessary. To paraphrase a Founding Father, "If you have to ask, you will never know." A memorable performance indeed in a most memorable career.
By Richard J Salvucci https://www.allaboutjazz.com/late-bloomin-jazzman-cafe-pacific-records

Personnel: David Benoit: Piano; John Clayton: Drums; Jamieson Trotter: Piano; Bob Sheppard: Saxophone, Tenor; Nolan Shaheen: Flugelhorn; Kevin Winard: Drums; Jon Mayer: Piano; Gabe Davis: Bass, Acoustic; Clayton Cameron: Drums; Brian Swartz: Trumpet; Grant Geissman: Guitar; Christian Euman: Drums; Mark Winkler: Voice / Vocals.

Late Bloomin'Jazzman

---

Mark Winkler - I'm with You: Mark Winkler Sings Bobby Troup

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:22
Size: 95,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:25)  1. Route 66
(4:00)  2. Please Belong to Me
(3:33)  3. Triskaidekaphobia
(3:29)  4. I'm with You
(2:57)  5. It Happened Once Before
(2:44)  6. Three Bears
(3:31)  7. Their Hearts Were Full of Spring
(3:12)  8. Hungry Man
(2:57)  9. In No Time
(3:15) 10. Snootie Little Cutie
(4:00) 11. Lemon Twist
(3:13) 12. Hungry Man (Halloween Version)

Mark Winkler wanted another bite of the apple, and Bobby Troup’s zesty book of rhythm patter, swooning ballads, and novelty numbers provides plenty of creative nourishment. His second album devoted to the songs of the jazz-steeped pianist, songwriter, singer, and actor, I’m With You offers a welcome reminder of Troup’s sturdy book. Winkler’s 2003 album Sings Bobby Troup covered some of the same ground (the albums share four songs). Considering Troup’s voluminous oeuvre and the obscurity that has befallen several of his early hits, some of the repetition seems unnecessary, but each song on I’m With You gets a thoughtful arrangement that brings out its particular character. A prolific Los Angeles songwriter and singer with rhythmically assured phrasing and a warm, affable tone, Winkler effectively highlights the strengths of his fellow tunesmith. He also makes excellent use of an enviable cast of L.A. players. Whenever an instrumentalist stands out, a glance at the credits reveals why. Ah, that’s Rickey Woodard’s tasty tenor sax on Tamir Hendelman’s briskly swinging arrangement of Troup’s lovely “Please Belong to Me,” and Anthony Wilson’s lustrous guitar on his own chart of the swooning “Their Hearts Were Full of Spring.” Troup’s songs aren’t the deepest end of the jazz/pop repertoire, but they’re consistently refreshing, heartfelt, or just plain fun, like “Triskaidekaphobia,” an ode to the fear of the number 13, and the jivey tale of Goldilocks, “Three Bears.” Another standout is the duet rendition of “It Happened Once Before,” a ballad with clunky lyric and gorgeous melody rendered (and arranged) with sublime grace by pianist Jon Mayer, a neglected master who made his recording debut in 1957 with Jackie McLean. But the bulk of the album features a quartet led by pianist/arranger Rich Eames, and whether swinging on “Route 66” or navigating the novelty number “Snooty Little Cutie,” Winkler is in deft hands. ~ Andrew Gilbert https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/mark-winkler-im-with-you-mark-winkler-sings-bobby-troup-cafe-pacific/

I'm with You: Mark Winkler Sings Bobby Troup

---

Mark Winkler, Cheryl Bentyne - Eastern Standard Time

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:41
Size: 113,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:17)  1. Devil May Care
(3:43)  2. Rhode Island Is Famous for You
(3:37)  3. Like Jazz
(4:29)  4. The Gentleman Is a Dope
(3:55)  5. I Could Get Used to This
(4:27)  6. The Best Is yet to Come
(6:14)  7. Spring Can Really Hang You up the Most
(4:16)  8. Walk on the Wild Side
(4:03)  9. You Smell so Good
(3:28) 10. Things Are Swingin'
(6:07) 11. Ballad of the Sad Young Men / Lies of Handsome Men

Vocalists Mark Winkler & Cheryl Bentyne go together like champagne and caviar. They’ve teamed up to record Eastern Standard Time, a sophisticated project of songs culled from known standards and several less familiar pages of the Great American Songbook, as well as a couple of originals by Winkler. This is their second Cd together. The first, West Coast Cool, was released in 2013 and received critical acclaim and went to #16 on the Jazzweek chart. For that project, Winkler and Bentyne chose tunes from the 1950s associated with the West Coast Cool sound. For Eastern Standard Time they reprise the concept, but this time present songs of East Coast lineage. They’ve chosen songs that you would hear if you habituated jazz clubs in New York City back in the late 50s and early 60s. Although the CD comprises mainly duets, they each perform two solo pieces as well. Eastern Standard Time  is a cool and cultivated project by two stellar vocalists who can transform whatever they sing into a statement of great emotional depth. Individually, Winkler and Bentyne are highly compelling performers. Together, they are musical powerhouses. https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/markwinkler28

Eastern Standard Time

---

Mark Winkler - The Company I Keep

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:56
Size: 128.0 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[4:12] 1. Walk Between The Raindrops (With Jackie Ryan)
[5:12] 2. Strollin' (With Cheryl Bentyne)
[4:27] 3. Midnight In Paris
[3:30] 4. But It Still Ain't So (With Steve Tyrell)
[5:42] 5. That Afternoon In Harlem
[3:15] 6. They Can't Take That Away From Me
[4:58] 7. Stolen Moments (With Claire Martin)
[4:27] 8. Love Comes Quietly
[5:18] 9. Rainproof (With Sara Gazarek)
[5:20] 10. The Sum
[4:00] 11. Lucky To Be Me
[5:28] 12. Here's To Life

Mark Winkler: vocals; Jackie Ryan: vocals (1); Jamieson Trotter: piano (1, 2, 4, 6, 7), Hammond B-3 (4); Lyman Medeiros: bass (1, 2, 4, 6, 10, 11); Mike Shapiro: drums (1, 2, 6, 10); Bob McChesney: trombone (1, 5, 7); Ron Blake: trumpet (1, 7); Brian Swartz: trumpet (1, 7); Bob Sheppard: saxophone (1, 4, 7, 9, 10), clarinet (11); Cheryl Bentyne: vocals (2); Larry Koonse: guitar (2, 3); Rich Eames: piano (3, 12); John Clayton: bass (3, 7-9); Jeff Hamilton: drums (3, 5, 7-9); Don Shelton: clarinet (3); Paul Cartwright: violin (3); Bob Mann: guitars (4); Kevin Winard: drums (4), percussion (10); Eric Reed: piano (5, 8); John Beasley: piano (10); David Benoit: piano (11).

The utility of music, at its very core, is entertainment. It is not all about dissonance and consonance, tonal conflict and resolution; heart and intellect, pathos and ethos. Somewhere in everything music has to offer, there must be a smile. It is in music's smile that vocalist Mark Winkler exists. An elegant West Coast mainstay, vocalist/lyricist/composer Winkler, drove across my radar first with his 2011 recording Sweet Spot (Café Pacific Records). I was struck by how well Winkler could skirt the orbit of con brio cabaret singing, with its fun, entertainment core, and remain completely fixed in his capacity of jazz singer and composer.

Winkler followed Sweet Spot with his bold 2013 release, The Laura Nyro Project (Café Pacific Records). An exceptional duet recording with The Manhattan Transfer's Cheryl Bentyne, West Coast Cool (Summit Records, 2013) came next, followed by the fun and good-natured Jazz and Other Four Letter Words (Café Pacific Records, 2015).

Winkler had a period of personal loss in 2016 that would have crushed lesser musical mortals. Rather than dwell in the loss, Winkler circled his wagons, and, by wagons I mean his friends, producing the present recording, The Company I Keep. The recording is tacitly a duets recording, where Winkler shares singing duties with the likes of Jackie Ryan "Walk Between the Raindrops" and Steve Tyrell "But It Still Ain't So." Sometimes the duets are with musicians: pianists David Benoit, Josh Nelson and Eric Reed join Winkler regular Jamison Trotter in providing the singer support. Add to this the contributions of reeds player Bob Sheppard and a picture is complete. With friends like that, how can one go wrong.

The recording, engineering, and sonics are exceptional, as well as the arrangements (mostly by Trotter). The project is composed of a a dozen pieces, half with lyrics composed by Winkler and half carefully selected by him and his cohorts. Beautifully, the "standards" (if you will) are not so standard. Donald Fagan's "Walk Between Raindrops," shared with Ryan and Prince's "Strollin'" shared with Cheryl Bentyne are pure genius in song selection. What is amply apparent is that Winkler is enjoying himself and his friends and vice versa. "Stolen Moments" with Claire Martin (using the late Mark Murphy's lyrics) and "Rainproof," sung with Sara Gazarek (this latter with Winkler lyrics) demonstrates Winkler's artistic resilience and determination.

Winkler's complete dedication to his friends is also expressed in the cover art, which includes West Coast dignitaries well known to our electronic pages (in no particular order): Lauren White, Jeffrey Gimble, Barbara Brighton, Andrew Abaria, Richard Winkler, Judy Wexler, and Dolores Scozzesi. Mark Winkler, I am so glad you (we) have them all. ~C. Michael Bailey

The Company I Keep mc
The Company I Keep zippy

---

Charmaine Clamor - Something Good

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:04
Size: 125,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:49)  1. Every Single Moment
(3:58)  2. Doodlin' In Taglish
(4:25)  3. Something Good
(4:06)  4. Feelin' Stevie
(6:19)  5. Motherless Ili-Ili
(3:15)  6. Let's Take A Trip
(4:14)  7. Flow
(3:41)  8. Maalaala Mo Kaya
(3:24)  9. Ikaw
(4:03) 10. Sweet Spot
(2:52) 11. The Farther You Go
(4:38) 12. Believe In Love
(4:14) 13. Breakfast With Bubba

"One of the important and original new jazz singers of the decade," Filipino-American vocal queen Charmaine Clamor delivers her most eclectic and surprising album to date. Featuring the international clean water anthem "Flow"!

From Charmaine Clamor, the queen of jazzipino: I believe there are two kinds of music: the Good Stuff and everything else. Good can be jazz, or world, or blues. Good can be classical, or opera, or hip-hop. Or funk or soul or even pop. The labels don’t matter; the sound matters. It’s true, I’m a Filipino-American. It’s true, I’m a jazz singer. I do this musical blending called jazzipino, and it comes straight from my heart. But it’s also true that I’m a citizen of Earth, and I’m a world-blues-funk-soul-pop vocalistwho won’t be, can’t be, categorized. I’m me, and this is my music.

You’ll hear my passion for the groove, for swing, for beautiful words and inspiring sounds. You’ll also discover my passion for the blessed planet we inhabit, and which we honor with our Mother Nature Suite. How strongly do I feel about taking care of our environment? The tray your CD sits in is made of potatoes. If you don’t dig this album, you can bury the whole package in your compost heap. It’s 100% recycleable! We like to think, however, that our music doesn’t qualify for the dreaded “everything else” genre. We’re delighted to share with you Something Good. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/cclamor4

Personnel: Zaxariades, Mon David, Our Lady of Refuge Children's Choir, Linda Hopkins, Mark Winkler, Michael Konik (vocals); Bo Razon (guitar, tres, congas, percussion); Richard Ickard (guitar); Robby Marshall (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Mike Stever (trumpet); Vikram Devasthali (trombone); Eli Brueggemann (piano, organ, Wurlitzer organ); Dominic Thiroux (acoustic bass, electric bass); Abe Lagrimas, Jr. (drums).

Something Good

---

Mark Winkler - Jazz Life

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:29
Size: 84,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:44)  1. Jazz Life
(3:50)  2. In a Minor Key
(2:13)  3. Be-Bop
(4:03)  4. Coolcats
(4:09)  5. Keely
(4:58)  6. Hip To Your Tricks
(3:47)  7. Struttin'
(4:14)  8. Scattin' in the Moonlight
(4:26)  9. Play To Win

Known for his smooth, relaxed, laid-back sense of swing, Mark Winkler is a flexible vocalist/songwriter whose influences (direct or indirect) include Dave Frishberg, Mose Allison, Kenny Rankin, and Michael Franks (among others). The Los Angeles resident is comfortable in either jazz or pop settings; he has done his share of traditional pop and crossover jazz/smooth jazz work, but he can also handle straight-ahead jazz and bop. Whether a Winkler recording has a jazz improviser's perspective or more of a pop/crossover perspective has depended on different factors, including the label and the producer. Some of Winkler's work has leaned toward the Mose Allison/Dave Frishberg side of things; other times, his approach has been closer to Michael Franks or Kenny Rankin. And either way, Winkler generally maintains his smoothness; he has never been known as a forceful, overly aggressive, or in-your-face type of singer.

Born and raised in the L.A. area, Winkler launched his recorded career in the mid-'80s. After recording some albums for the independent, L.A.-based Chase Music Group (including Color of Love, Ebony Rain, and Hottest Night of the Year), the Southern Californian freelanced for various indie labels in the '90s (including Countdown and Chartmaker). Winkler didn't build a huge catalog in the '80s or '90s; when the early 2000s arrived, his catalog added up to about six albums. But he has kept busy doing a variety of other things, which have ranged from writing songs for other vocalists to theatrical projects. Winkler whose songs have been recorded by Liza Minnelli, Randy Crawford, Dianne Reeves, and others wrote the off-Broadway musical Naked Boys Singing! (which debuted in New York in 1999 and went on to play in a few others cities as well). In 2003, the Rhombus label released Mark Winkler Sings Bobby Troup, which found him paying tribute to the songwriter who gave us gems like "Route 66," "You're Looking at Me," and "Baby, Baby All the Time." ~ Bio https://itunes.apple.com/gb/artist/mark-winkler/id48811931#fullText

Jazz Life

---

Mark Winkler - Sweet Spot

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:30
Size: 113.3 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[4:09] 1. Like Young
[4:51] 2. Catch Me If You Can
[4:00] 3. But Not For Me
[4:47] 4. Sweet Spot
[4:49] 5. This Side Of Loving
[3:46] 6. Somewhere In Brazil (East Coast)
[2:42] 7. After Hours
[4:43] 8. On Broadway
[3:58] 9. Jazz Is A Special Taste
[4:13] 10. Some Other Sunset
[3:31] 11. Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring
[3:56] 12. Somewhere In Brazil (East Coast)

For all of his musical bona fides, Mark Winkler is no more a jazz singer than Jim Caruso or Michael Buble. In spite of the fact that he attracted the best of the best in his sidemen—bassist Robert Hurst, pianist Billy Childs and drummer Gregory Hutchinson—for Sweet Spot, he remains something else. The point being, that whatever kind of singer Winker is, it is beside the point. Like Caruso's Swing Set (Yellow Sound Label, 2011), Sweet Spot captures the art of the cabaret singer, the suave stylist with wit and perfect intonation.

Perfect intonation or not, Winkler, like Caruso, possesses that most important vocal element for a singer—a distinctive voice. Winkler's sonics are less than perfect, his voice too refined to contain grit, possessing a rasp that makes it unique—and, more importantly, identifiable. Add this to his keen arranger's ear and Winkler turns a standard like "But Not for Me" on its ear.

Childs introduces the Gershwin classic with a quote from the Miles Davis songbook, using Red Garland's original introduction to Davis' 1956 Prestige recording of "If I Were a Bell," from Relaxin' With the Miles Davis Quintet. Winkler casts the song as originally sung by Judy Garland in Girl Crazy. This is not your mother's Chet Baker cover; Winkler means business, singing crisply with superb support. A splendid bass solo sums up the rendition that is as tasteful as it is creative and emotive. ~C. Michael Bailey

Mark Winkler: vocals; Eli Brueggemann: piano; Tim Emmons: bass; Steve Barnes: drums; Bob Sheppard: sax; Kim Richmond: sax; Grant Geissman: guitar; Billy Childs: piano; Greg Hutchinson: drums; Anthony Wilson; guitar; Nolan Shaheed: trumpet; Robert Hurst: bass; Luis Conte: percussion.

Sweet Spot

---

Mark Winkler - Jazz And Other Four Letter Words

Size: 108,6 MB
Time: 46:37
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. My Idea Of A Good Time (4:47)
02. I'm Hip (3:19)
03. Nice Work If You Can Get It (3:50)
04. Your Cat Plays Piano (5:03)
05. I Chose The Moon (4:31)
06. Have A Good Time (4:09)
07. I Wish I Were In Love Again (3:55)
08. Jazz And Other Four Letter Words (4:13)
09. I Never Went Away (3:38)
10. In A New York Minute/The Great City/Autumn In New York (5:10)
11. Stay Hip (3:57)

Los Angeles-based jazz vocalist/lyricist Mark Winkler has a distinct way of having a great time and he makes it well-known on Jazz and Other Four Letter Words. Released on Café Pacific Records, the disc features a coterie of highly regarded West Coast musicians including John Clayton, Jeff Hamilton, Bob Sheppard and guest vocalist Cheryl Bentyne of The Manhattan Transfer.

Mark Winkler either wrote or co-wrote several of the songs for this project including the title track, “I Chose The Moon,” “My Idea of a Good Time,” and “Stay Hip.” He lets it rip on two duets with Cheryl Bentyne during which they sound off in beatnik parlance on “I’m Hip,” and are cool and jazzy together on the Rodgers and Hart evergreen titled “I Wish I Were in Love Again.” Bob Sheppard plays a memorable solo on “I Wish I Were in Love Again” while pianist Jamieson Trotter comps skillfully on this delightful arrangement.

Winker’s rich, baritone vocals are enticing on the opening track and give you several reasons to keep listening. “My Idea of a Good Time” is indicative of his consummate songwriting skills while “Jazz and Other Four Letter Words” speaks to present day sensibilities. The way Winkler associates other four letter words to the word jazz - i.e. cool, beat, snap, drop, bass, warm, etc.- in such a creative way is sure to endear both new and veteran fans to his approach to storytelling. He finds new meanings in “I Never Went Away,” and makes this evergreen new again while his interpretation of “Nice Work If You Can Get It” reaches a new plateau of vocal hipsterism.

Melody, rhythm and harmony are definitely friends of Mark Winkler. He swings on the medley “New York Minute/The Great City/Autumn in New York” as he tells the story of The Big Apple in the span of five minutes. This “cocktail of blues and berets” is such a great metaphor for the NYC jazz scene and the approach Winkler takes during his resonant phrasing and concise harmonic progressions are what makes this medley worth several listens.

Mark Winkler's timing and tempo, his sense of swing and swagger, his selection of songs and guest musicians are just a few reasons why Jazz and Other Four Letter Words works as the 14th release in his excellent catalogue of recordings. Check it out!

Jazz And Other Four Letter Words

---

Cheryl Bentyne - The Gershwin Songbook

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:15
Size: 131,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:41)  1. Fascinating Rhythm/I Got Rhythm
(3:14)  2. Love Is Here To Stay
(3:50)  3. Isn't It A Pity
(3:23)  4. Summertime
(3:33)  5. A Foggy Day (In London Town)
(3:59)  6. (Oh Sweet And Lovely) Lady Be Good
(5:54)  7. Someone To Watch Over Me
(3:16)  8. How Long Has This Been Going On
(4:01)  9. The Man I Love
(5:35) 10. I've Got A Crush On You
(4:39) 11. But Not For Me
(4:03) 12. Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
(3:41) 13. Nice Work If You Can Get It
(4:20) 14. S'Wonderful

Cheryl Bentyne's The Gershwin Songbook is among the best vocal albums of 2010. A member of The Manhattan Transfer since 1979, she frequently strikes out on her own to record, and has released eight albums in the past two decades. Perfecting her talent in vocalese with The Manhattan Transfer, Bentyne performs jazz choruses with a pitch-perfect soprano in the tradition of Annie Ross, by way of Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. In this set of 15 Gershwin classics, she gets many opportunities to show her vocal dexterity; excelling in all contexts, swinging for sure, and sensitive to every nuance of the lyrics. Pianist Corey Allen is essential to the album's success. Along with another pianist, Ted Howe, he turns out delightfully creative arrangements that are not "by the book" interpretations.

The guest artists are also big factors in giving the recording its distinctive flavor: impeccable clarinetist Ken Peplowski, who shines throughout; flautist Peter Gordon; and guitarist Larry Koonse, in particular a standout on rhythm guitar. Appropriate to the Gershwins, things start with Peplowski's clarinet introduction to "Fascinating Rhythm" echoing "Rhapsody in Blue," evolving into a breakneck scat duet with Bentyne before drummer Dave Tull heralds a transition to "I Got Rhythm."After a dazzling cadenza on "Lady Be Good," Peplowski gives a virtuoso display, backed by a romping piano. Bentyne also really shows her straight-ahead jazz chops. Bentyne is soft and seductive on "I've Got A Crush on You," with Koonse's sensitive solo also prominent. 

On "Isn't It a Pity," her shimmering voice is counterpoint to the piano and Tull's background vocal, while "Summertime" is a standout arrangement, with its Gil Evans-like background, Bentyne's vocalese merging with Gordon's flute. A surprising version of "The Man I Love," with rhythm guitar and clarinet that could have come from Django Reinhardt's Hot Club de France, is an upbeat joy. Overall, every track on The Gershwin Songbook is a happy discovery. ~ Larry Taylor  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-gershwin-songbook-cheryl-bentyne-artistshare-review-by-larry-taylor.php
 

Personnel: Cheryl Bentyne: vocals; Corey Allen: piano; Ted Howe: piano; Kevin Axt: bass; Larry Koonse: guitar: Dave Tull: drums, background vocal; Ken Peplowski: clarinet; Peter Gordon: flute; Mark Winkler: vocalist.

The Gershwin Songbook

---

Mark Winkler - The Laura Nyro Project

Size: 121,0 MB
Time: 52:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. And When I Die (5:18)
02. Stoned Soul Picnic (5:21)
03. California Shoeshine Boys (3:08)
04. Time And Love (5:09)
05. Sweet Blindness (4:15)
06. He's A Runner (4:51)
07. Emmie (5:16)
08. Upstairs By A Chinese Lamp (5:05)
09. Buy And Sell (4:42)
10. Save The Country (3:41)
11. Billy's Blues (5:29)

The combination of a unique and beautifully au courant voice with an equally rare and manifold composing talent makes for compelling listening. When the voice is that of vocalist/songwriter Mark Winkler and the songs are by Laura Nyro, the resulting project reaches criticality rapidly. Winkler has been composing and recording for the better part of 30 years, releasing ten recordings and penning upwards to 150 songs in that time. His previous recording, Sweet Spot (Cafe Pacific Records, 2011) was praised widely and featured some of Winkler's most recent composing.

Presently, Winkler turns his attention to a project that has be percolating for some time. Laura Nyro (1947-1997) was a prominent '60s singer/songwriter who composed several notable songs made famous for other artists: Three Dog Night's "Eli's Coming," Blood, Sweat & Tears' (and Peter, Paul & Mary's) "And When I Die," and the Fifth Dimension's "Stone Soul Picnic" and "Wedding Bell Blues," as well as writing songs covered by Barbra Streisand, and Diana Ross and the Supremes. She was a part of the famous Brill Building machine, adding jazz and folk inflections to the "sound" during its heyday.

Winkler takes Nyro's "hybrid" Brill Building sound, adding his own elegance. The lion's share of the selections are arranged by Winkler's long-collaborating pianist Eli Brueggemann, who thoughtfully marries instruments and solos effectively into the families of these Nyro tunes. "And When I Die" is propelled by an assertive bass figure plucked by Dan Lutz, who is the common thread drawn through all of the ensemble pieces. "Stone Soul Picnic" has a gentle funk to it. Arranged by Winkler and pianist on this song, Rich Eames, "Picnic" is transformed into a light and hip stroll, well-suited to Winkler's beautifully unusual voice. Pat Kelly's guitar is svelte and precise, supplementing the song's jazz bona fides.

Winkler and arranger Eames make "California Shoeshine Boy" a gospel romp down the aisle at the church of rhythm and blues. Brueggemann's solo is two-fisted and muscular, challenging Winkler to his edgiest singing. The arrangement of "Time and Love" is cleverly based on pianist Ahmad Jamal's performance of "Moonlight in Vermont," while "Sweet Blindness" follows the same formula as the opening piece with a slick 4/4 stroll, accented by Bob Sheppard's tenor saxophone dueling with Nolan Shaheed's trumpet. John Mills and Elmer Hopper join Winkler with some swing vocals.

"Save The Country" and "Billy's Blues" are Winkler duets with pianist Eric Reed, who solidly puts the soul into the pieces, pushing Winkler to some of his best singing on the disc. The star among stars is Winkler's exceptional voice, one possessing that indefinable quality that makes it memorable without exactly understanding what is so superb about it. The Laura Nyro Project betrays the care and love Winkler and company put into the session; this is an excellent vocal outing by any measure. ~C. Michael Bailey

Personnel: Mark Winkler: vocals; Eli Brueggemann: piano (1, 3-6, 8) organ (1, 5); Rick Eames: piano (2, 3); Jamieson Trotter: piano (7); Eric Reed: piano (10, 11); Dan Lutz: bass; Pat Kelly: guitar (2); Anthony Wilson: guitar (7); Larry Koonse: guitar (5, 8, 9); Peter Buck: drums, percussion (1, 3-6, 8, 9); Dave Tull: drums, percussion (2); Michael Smith: percussion (7, 8); Bob Sheppard: tenor saxophone (1, 4, 5), flute(8); Nolan Shaheed: trumpet (5); Mitch Ellis: background vocals (2); Cheryl Bentyne: background vocals (7); John Mills: background vocals (5); Elmer Hopper: background vocals (5).

The Laura Nyro Project

---

Mark Winkler - Till I Get It Right

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:55
Size: 125,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:47)  1. Till I Get It Right
(3:43)  2. How Can That Make You Fat?
(4:25)  3. Cool
(3:54)  4. Spring Is Where You Are
(4:34)  5. Lowercase
(4:00)  6. Sissies
(5:34)  7. In A Lonely Place
(4:02)  8. Future Street
(4:57)  9. Evolution
(3:47) 10. How To Pack A Suitcase
(5:10) 11. In The Moment
(4:56) 12. You Might As Well

If Mark Murphy is the reigning king of vocal hipsterism, then Mark Winkler ranks directly behind Kurt Elling among heirs apparent. Though the title of Winkler’s ninth album echoes his longstanding predilection for self-effacement, better to consider it ironic. As the jazz cognoscenti are well aware, Winkler has been getting it right for years. As a singer, he mirrors Murphy’s arch sophistication while suggesting an amalgam of Curtis Stigers’ blithe ingenuousness and Matt Dennis’ breezy bonhomie. As a lyricist, he is as consummate a traveler in the world of Dave Frishberg drollness as he is in the land of Cole Porter urbanity. This time around, Winkler’s lyrical skills span 10 tunes (augmented by the sparse, budding beauty of Steve Allen’s “Spring Is Where You Are” and witty sagacity of Ivan Lins’ “Evolution”) of dexterous ingenuity. 

He shapes clever accolades to personal heroes Truman Capote (“Sissies”) and Barbra Streisand (“In the Moment”), swaps hepcat accolades with Cheryl Bentyne on “Cool,” serves up the deliciously Frishberg-ian “How Can That Make You Fat?” and proves a master of the sweet adieu with “How to Pack a Suitcase.” But it is on a pair of ballads that Winkler shines brightest, seeking silver linings in “You Might As Well Live” and, inspired by a classic slice of Humphrey Bogart film noir, fog-bound in the aftermath of a doomed romance in “In a Lonely Place. ~ Christopher Loudon   http://jazztimes.com/articles/24644-till-i-get-it-right-mark-winkler

Till I Get It Right

---

Cheryl Bentyne & Mark Winkler - West Coast Cool

Styles: Jazz Vocals
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:53
Size: 130,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:13)  1. Take 5/Drinks on the Patio
(3:42)  2. An Occasional Man
(2:58)  3. Let's Get Lost
(4:48)  4. Talk of the Town/Girl Talk
(4:24)  5. West Coast Cool
(4:13)  6. Something Cool
(4:52)  7. Route 66/Alright, Okay, You Win/Straighten up and Fly Right
(3:47)  8. Señor Blues
(4:02)  9. Lemon Twist
(3:16) 10. This Could Be the Start of Something Big
(3:15) 11. Hungry Man
(4:06) 12. All About Ronnie/Trouble Is a Man
(4:20) 13. In a Lonely Place
(3:52) 14. Cool (Unreleased Live Track)

In 2010, veteran Los Angeles singer/lyricist Mark Winkler joined forces with the The Manhattan Transfer's lead singer, multi-Grammy Award-winning artist Cheryl Bentyne, playing the music of the '50s and '60s commonly known as West Coast Jazz at venues throughout California and elsewhere. West Coast Cool is this remarkable duo's music-only version of their live show, turning its passion for the music into a vocal tribute of one of the most important styles in jazz history.

Defining the style may not be so clear, but general agreement concludes that it developed around the sounds coming out of the Los Angeles and San Francisco jazz scenes at the time, and was a bit mellower than the hard bop beats and rhythms of the East Coast, emerging as the cooler side of jazz. Winkler and Bentyne explore the music of Bobby Troup, Neal Hefti, Frank Loesser and others in bringing the cool style front and center, supported by a seasoned cast of musicians as they present a collection of duets on eighteen songs compressed into fourteen tracks of gorgeous medleys, several Winkler originals and a blend of cover tunes.

The date opens up with a medley of Paul Desmond's classic "Take 5," with the singers voicing Lola Brubeck's lyrics (Dave Brubeck's widow), then merging the piece with Winkler and Rich Eames' "Drinks On The Patio." Pianist Eames is part of the ensemble that performs on eleven of the pieces and arranges most of the tracks. Other superb medleys find the vocalists merging portions of well-known tunes like Troup's "Route 66" with Nat "King" Cole's "Straighten Up And Fly Right," and "Talk Of The Town" with the Hefti/Troup standard (and Winkler favorite), "Girl Talk."

Of the several solo pieces, Bentyne's sweet vocals marvel on "An Occasional Man" and on "All About Ronnie," while Winkler distinguishes himself on Loesser/Jimmy McHugh's exuberant "Let's Get Lost" and on the Marilyn Harris love ballad, "In A Lonely Place." The swing is on with several songs including "Hungry Man," featuring the great Bob Sheppard on tenor saxophone making his own substantial statement, while Tamir Hendelman's arrangement of Steve Allen's buoyant "This Could Be The Start Of Something Big" makes quite a splash.

The set ends appropriately with a taste of how the duo sounds in one of its many shows, with a live recording of another Harris/Winkler collaboration, "Cool." It's a swinging finale and final homage to the cool West Coast jazz sound of the past, re-imagined and resurrected by the smooth and vibrant vocals of Winkler and Bentyne, who together take that oft-used phrase "dynamic duo," to a much higher level.~ Edward Blanco  

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=45185#.UlNSjRBsidk

Personnel: Cheryl Bentyne: vocals; Mark Winkler: vocals; Rich Eames: piano (1, 2, 4-8, 10); Tim Emmons: bass (1, 2, 4-8, 10); Dave Tull: drums (1, 2, 4- 8, 10); Bob Sheppard: saxophones, flute (1, 2, 4-8, 10, 11); Nolan Shahead: trumpet (3); Anthony Wilson: guitar (9); Joe Bragg: Hammond B3 organ (9); Mark Ferber: drums (9); John Mayer: piano (11); Kevin Axt: bass (11); Ron McCurdy: drums (11); Eli Brueggeman: piano: (14); George Koller: bass (14); Mark Kelso: drums (14).

West Coast Cool

---