I have very few male jazz vocalists in my collection. However, it is stuffed with female jazz vocalists ranging from Billie Holiday to Karen Souza. This is not a conscious decision, but I am open to the possibility that it could be an unconscious bias (as the current thinking goes). I do, however, possess every Van Morrison album ever released, and I wonder if that redresses the imbalance in some way? (No – Ed.)
Mark Winkler was not previously on my radar but having reviewed and thoroughly enjoyed his new album, I think it (and his earlier recordings) could now find themselves rubbing shoulders with the likes of Cassandra Wilson, Stacey Kent and Melody Gardot.
Winkler’s CV is impressive. This is his 21st recording as a solo singer and his songs have been recorded by Dee Dee Bridgewater, Randy Crawford, Dianne Reeves, Liza Minnelli and Harry Allen. The roster of Winkler’s collaborators is equally impressive and includes David Benoit, Dexter Gordon, Joe Sample and Wayne Shorter.
Winkler has a stylish West Coast USA sound to his vocals (see Sunday In LA), but seems equally adept when travelling east (In Love In New York). Apart from his own lyrics, Winkler puts swing into Lennon-McCartney’s Got To Get You Into My Life and emotion into Paul Simon’s exquisite Something So Right.
His vocal range is impressive and his ability to interpret (yet still make unique) other people’s material is fabulous. He can swing, touch hearts and add subtle humour whenever the circumstances merit and clearly understands what a singer needs in a song. He is both a talented singer and songwriter and very welcome in my record collection from now on. Standout tracks for me are Something So Right and Donald Fagan’s I.G.Y (What A Wonderful World). Highly recommended.
Discography
(1) Sunday In LA; (2) I.G.Y (What A Beautiful World); (3) The Joy Of Singing; (4) In Love In New York; (2) Got To Get You Into My Life; The Rules Don’t Apply; Something So Right; (1) Just Around The Corner; If These Walls Could Talk (They’d Sing); (4) Jazz Swings; (3) Mama Told Me Not To Come; Lessons I’ve Learned; (5) Here’s To Jazz (58.00)
Winkler (v) on all tracks with:
(1) Greg Gordon Smith (p); Brian Swartz, James Ford (t); Grant Geissman (g); Danny Janklow (ts, as); Katisse Buckingham (ts); Scott Mayo (bar); Scott Whitfield (tb); Gabe Davis (b); Clayton Cameron, Dan Schnelle (d).
(2) John Beasley (p); Bob Sheppard (ts); George Doering (g); Dan Lutz (b); plus Swartz and Schnelle as in (1).
(3) as (1) but with Greg Gordson Smith out and Jamieson Trotter (p) in plus Errol Rhoden (tu), Kevin Winard (pc) and James Ford (t).
(4) as (2) but Beasley and Swartz out plus Rich Eames (p), Bob Sheppard (cl), Kevin Winard (pc) in.
Tritone Studios, Glendale, California, no recording date unknown.
Café Pacific Records CPCD 6021
