Mark Winkler
Easy The Hard Way
© 2000 Chartmaker Jazz (603281512028)
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Jazz singer backed by an all-star crew. This CD spent over two months on the Gavin Jazz Chart where it reached the top 20 and was played on over 60 stations across the U.S.
tracks
- 1 Trio
- 2 Easy The Hard Way
- 3 Like Young
- 4 Lonely Woman
- 5 Baby It's Cold Outside
- 6 Toys In The Attic
- 7 Ellen's Song
- 8 Kelly's Moods
- 9 Empty Bed
- 10 Another Night
- 11 Like Jazz
- 12 Quiet Fire
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"Stands out among what appears to be a diminishing fraternity: male jazz singers" - (L.A.Times)
Winkler sings originals and jazz standards, featuring Billy Childs, Anthony Wilson and Bobby Shew.
Mark Winkler is an L.A. based singer-songwriter who has just released his latest Chartmaker Jazz release "Easy The Hard Way".
It features Mark singing originals and Jazz standards backed by an all-star crew featuring Billy Childs, Anthony Wilson, Bobby Shew and Claire Martin.
It has spent over two months on the Gavin Jazz Chart where it reached the top 20 and was played on over 60 stations across the U.S.
Mark sorta sounds like "Mark Murphy by way of Mose Allison or Dave Frishberg" - (Jazz Times)
Winkler has written over 350 songs, many of them recorded by the likes of Liza Minelli, Kenny Rankin, Dianne Reeves and Randy Crawford (her 1989 hit "Can't Stand The Pain".)
His sensitivity as a performer and his insights as a lyricist are brought to bear in his new CD. "Easy The Hard Way" is a tune Mark wrote after reading the obituary of 60s TV icon, Vince Edwards.
"It was gonna be the title of his uncompleted autobiography" and I thought it would be fun to write it like it was the end song of an imaginary TV movie they made from Vince's book!" Mark says.
Mark also performs a playful duet of "Baby It's Cold Outside" with #1 British jazz star Claire Martin.
"Funny thing is that we recorded it on the coldest day in October in London-- so we didn't need much inspiration to sing the tune. We basically did it in one take-- facing each other".
The producer of the CD, Barbara Brighton brought in Wayne Shorter's piece "Edda", suggesting to Mark that he should write lyrics to it in tribute to their mutual friend, Jazz activist, Ellen Cohn.Mark did and renamed the touching tune, "Ellen's Song".
One of Mark's favorite songs on the CD is "Like Young" the old Andre Previn tune that was used as the theme song for Playboy After Dark".
"It's just me and Anthony Wilson on guitar facing each other-- it was all very organic and real, no overdubbing here."
"Easy The Hard Way" is an album chock full of a lifetime of emotions from sexy to sad to funny- Winkler's lyrics paint a picture and tell a story just waiting to be told.
reviews
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EASY on the ears - HARD not to love!
author: Marilyn HarrisWonderful NEW jazz songs are hard to come by - unless Mark Winkler's in the neighborhood, making it all sound EASY!? This cat is the real deal - an honest-to-God jazz singer who takes chances vocally without getting TOO scary!? Mark proves his mettle on the standards like LIKE YOUNG, but I prefer the title track and LIKE JAZZ. The production is understated but completely supportive of Mark and the material - an excellent CD for a mellow evening!
One of the best jazz vocal CD's of the year
This new CD represents something of a departure for Mark Winkler, a talented singer- songwriter whose previous CD's had a "smooth jazz" flavor.EASY THE HARD WAY is pretty much a straight-ahead jazz album, and it is his best effort yet--very cool, and a bit sophisticated. This CD has everything--strong material (some really good original songs, like EASY THE HARD WAY and TRIO, or the romantic QUIET FIRE--as well as standards like BABY ITS COLD OUTSIDE,or my favorite,LONELY WOMAN), great musicians(Jon Mayer, Billy Childs and particularly outstanding--Anthony Wilson's guitar work), and great vocals (Mark's voice is supple and mellow, and he does a terrific duet with British jazz star Claire Martin--check out her CD titled MAKE THE CITY OURS).
Mark Winkler's best!
author: Lorraine FeatherMark is a very original artist, and this is his best album to date. My favorite track is "Like Young," the duet he does with Anthony Wilson, a guitar player of great sensitivity. My favorite line is from the opening track, "Trio": "The sound man's on the spoon..." There are more than a few witty and surprising lines on this CD.