Mark Winkler

Mark Winkler, a vocalist and songwriter based in Los Angeles, brings a flexible approach defined by smooth, relaxed, laid-back swing. His influences, encompassing Dave Frishberg, Mose Allison, Kenny Rankin, and Michael Franks among others, register either directly or indirectly across his output. Equally at home in jazz or pop contexts, he has pursued traditional pop and crossover jazz or smooth jazz projects while also proving capable of straight-ahead jazz and bop. The vantage point of any Winkler recording—whether shaped by a jazz improviser’s lens or a pop and crossover orientation—shifts according to the label and producer at hand. Certain efforts tilt toward the Mose Allison and Dave Frishberg sensibility, whereas others move closer to the manner of Michael Franks or Kenny Rankin, yet Winkler consistently preserves his inherent smoothness and refrains from forceful or aggressive delivery.

Born and raised in the Los Angeles region, he entered the recording arena in the mid-1980s. Early albums appeared on the independent, L.A.-based Chase Music Group and included Color of Love, Ebony Rain, and Hottest Night of the Year. Throughout the 1990s the Southern Californian worked across assorted independent outlets such as Countdown and Chartmaker. His discography stayed modest during the 1980s and 1990s, reaching roughly six albums by the start of the early 2000s. Even so, he remained occupied with an array of additional activities that ranged from supplying songs for other vocalists to involvement in theatrical productions. Singers who have performed his material include Liza Minnelli, Randy Crawford, Dianne Reeves, and additional artists. Winkler wrote the off-Broadway musical Naked Boys Singing!, which debuted in New York in 1999 and later traveled to several further cities. In 2003 the Rhombus label released Mark Winkler Sings Bobby Troup, a tribute to the songwriter behind gems such as “Route 66,” “You’re Looking at Me,” and “Baby, Baby All the Time.”