About Mark

“Mark Winkler is a musical marvel and a true original! At last, in the jazzy tradition of Bobby Troup, Hoagy Carmichael, Matt Dennis and Dave Frishberg, a writer who sings and a singer who swings!” —Rex Reed

Mark Winkler is a platinum award winning singer/lyricist who has had over 250 of his songs recorded and/or sung by artists such as Dianne Reeves, Liza Minnelli, Steve Tyrell, Jane Monheit,  Dee Dee Bridgewater, Lea DeLaria, Kenny Rankin and Sara Gazarek.

Mark has had articles written about him in Jazziz and Jazz Times Magazines, and he was included as a 2018 ”Rising Star” Male Jazz Vocalist in Downbeat Magazine.

His last five releases all charted high on the Jazz Week charts and received stellar reviews. “I’m With You,” which he released in August 2019, was named one of the best CDs of 2019 in Jazziz. It was also the #3 Hottest Vocal Release on Amazon, and it was played on stations all over the country, including WBGO in New York.

“Jazz and Other Four Letter Words” got a four star review in Downbeat and a five star review in All About Jazz. Reviewer Jonathan Widran, who writes for several print and online publications, named it his #1 Cd of 2015.

Four of Mark’s lyrics were recently featured on the new David Benoit/Jane Monheit CD “2 In Love” on Concord Records. This comes on the heels of more and more of his songs being recorded by the best singers in jazz.

Just recently his song “We’ve Just Begun” was the title song of Danish jazz singer Sinne Eeg’s new CD, which charted high, and his song “I Could Get Used to This” was recorded by British Jazz Vocalist of the Year, Claire Martin, on her tribute album to Wes Montgomery.

Mark has toured internationally, singing in London, Tokyo, and Australia. He has performed his “West Coast Cool” show, with his occasional singing partner Cheryl Bentyne of Manhattan Transfer fame, at the Syracuse Jazz Festival and in Tuscon, Arizona, Toronto, Canada, and Madison, Wisconsin, among many other cities.

As a lyricist, Mark has 6 musicals that are playing around the country, including “Naked Boys Singing!,” which has been performed in an Off Broadway theater for 21 years. It is the 2^nd Longest running show in Off Broadway history. “Play It Cool,” a jazz musical inspired by film noir, has been playing Off Broadway since 2011. His musical “Bark!” has played in LA and in over 25 other cities. It will be heading to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2020.

Mark is also an educator. He has been teaching lyric writing in a course titled “Crafting Great Lyrics: A Songwriters Workshop” at UCLA extension for 15 years and at the Los Angeles School of Songwriting.

Mark also writes columns for Music Connection magazine and does interviews and reviews for LA Jazz Scene. Check out Mark’s article “The Best Jazz Songwriters of Today” that appeared in LA Jazz Scene.