Search - Mark Winkler :: Till I Get It Right

Fills the room and house the way Jazz should!

Jazz Baby | USA | 03/17/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is not my first Mark Winkler CD, but it is my favorite. There are a lot of things to mention here, but the first thing - you know that feeling of desperately needing music to transform the environment? In a way that for jazz fans, only jazz does? Usually I only get that from "old" albums, and often I am bored by the new people that, say, Jonathan Schwarz introduces me to on NPR on the weekends. But this album really gives you that gift. I particularly love when an album's lush orchestration can make the riches of the lyrics incidental when you are busy cleaning the house or getting dressed and at the same time, for those lyrics to be so good that the songs can actually keep you company when you want to lie on the couch and listen carefully to every word. I like lyrics that make you feel less lonely, more connected to universal things, but at the same time have something original to say. (never quite figured out that paradox, but it is the essence of jazz, I know that, and this album hits the spot in that regard!)



Anyway, this album has a lot of riches. Every purchase counts in this day and age, and I am reminded of a newspaper story I recently read about what makes people feel better and what is worth money in this era and I was so pleased to have spent such a little bit for so much pleasure in this album! I also really enjoyed having a WHOLE album of songs that had so much variety. It makes me sound dated, but I like being "stuck" with all the songs of a complete album, because some (a lot on this one) pop right away and you want to play them over and over for the pleasurable feelings they cause, but others you might avoid because they have a melancholy essence or don't immediately grab your attention. But after listening carefully to every song on this album, I feel I have 12 new friends. Some I will play all the time, others I will reserve for when I want a certain feeling, but I am so pleased to have them all as a collection.

In this very scary time for the world, finding a NEW jazz album that accompanies me and just sounds so good is a terrific feeling! Well worth it.

Again, I love that you can put it on and just enjoy the orchestration and the lovely sound of Mark Winkler's voice, both of which are rich and full, and feel instantly better, or you can lie quietly and listen carefully to the words and get a completely different experience. It is nice to know that jazz is still being created, and done well, and this album gave me a lot of hope!"

HE GOT IT RIGHT !!!!!

Brett R. Fox | Washington DC | 04/17/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mark Winkler is an amazing jazzer. He has a nice voice, he can swing with the best of them, and he always has superb musicians on his albums (the band is just great on this new album!).What really sets him apart, though, is his ORIGINALITY...and this album is a prime example. Most of the songs on this CD are new Winkler compositions (he writes the lyrics) and they are an amazing collection of songs, ranging from the sardonic to the comic to the romantic to the refective. Almost all of them work really well...and several of them are likely to become classics. I think TILL I GET IT RIGHT sounds as if it already IS a classic; COOL, with Cheryl Bentyne, is so hip and so much fun that everyone will want to do it; and the ballads IN A LONELY PLACE and YOU MIGHT AS WELL LIVE are total knockouts. I've liked Mark's previous jazz albums EASY THE HARD WAY and SINGS BOBBY TROUP, but I think this goes one step farther and is his best album to date. If you're looking for something musically sophisticated, fun and unpredictable, then this album's for you. If you want to know more about the songs on this album, and how they developed, check out Mark's blog on his website: www.markwinklermusic.com. I did, and I found it really interesting.

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