The album opens with a cool rendition of “It Ain’t Necessarily So.” I’ve said it many times, but you can never go wrong with Gershwin. Mark Winkler digs right into this gem, delivering a delicious, energetic rendition. The arrangement is by John Clayton, who plays bass on this track. This track also features some fantastic work by Bob Sheppard on saxophone, keeping things lively. David Benoit is on piano, Christian Euman is on drums, and Grant Geissman plays guitar on this track. Just before the end, Mark Winkler’s delivery gets more intimate for lines that might stand out for listeners in these days of extreme division: “People getting so tribal/But if you think I’m your rival/Ain’t necessarily so.” He follows that with a cover of Michael Franks’ “Don’t’ Be Blue,” from Franks’ 1977 LP Sleeping Gypsy. This is another good choice in these bizarre times, offering a friendly hand and advice. “Don’t get locked into your sadness/Cop a bluff, yeah, strut your stuff/If you stumble, just be tongue in cheek.” This track features some great work by Grant Geissman on guitar, and then a wonderful lead by Jamieson Trotter on keys.
Interestingly, Mark Winkler follows “Don’t Be Blue” with a song that sounds blue from its opening, “When All The Lights In The Sign Worked.” This is an original composition, with lyrics by Mark Winkler and music by Joe Pasquale, taking place on a rainy night in Los Angeles. Mark delivers a cool vocal performance that immediately makes us think in black and white images, in shadows. And he acknowledges that very vibe in the lyrics: “Shadows wrapping you in mystery/Like an actress in an old film noir.” And check out Brian Swartz’s work on trumpet! And speaking of cool, the album’s title track begins with a bass solo by Gabe Davis that is several shades of cool. Where do you go from there? Well, you have to add finger snaps, and then a vocal performance that is part beat poetry. Everything about this track is wonderful. And, yes, this is one of the songs that deal with aging, this one in relation to the world of music. “While the world shoves aside the particular hipsters who play/Who’ve paid their dues and lived a little bit along the way.” There are some great touches and accents by all the musicians backing him. I especially love that work by Christian Euman on drums.
“In Another Way” is a moving song about dealing with loss. It has a hopeful tone and message, in lines like “But love is never lost/It just comes back in another way.” The music for this original composition was written by Michele Brourman, who also did the arrangement. David Benoit delivers some pretty work on piano. This song directly addresses the person who has died, which makes it even more moving: “And yes, it’s strange/Now that I’ve lost you I guess I’ve changed/Would you even like me now?” That line, “Would you even like me now,” is heartbreaking. And check out these final lines: “The things we love the most we lose/But if we survive the pain/In the end love will come back in another way.” Mark Winkler then dips into bossa nova with “Bossa Nova Days,” another original composition, this one with music by Bill Cantos, who also did the arrangement. And, hey, who among us isn’t going to relate to this song’s opening line, “I wasn’t born for these times”? He follows that line with a thought on today’s music, “Music’s not musical.” I remember an interview with Jerry Garcia where he mentioned that rap actually isn’t music at all, which is true. In this song, Mark Winkler wants to get lost in the older music, and in the days when it prevailed.
Mark Winkler presents a cover of “Old Devil Moon” that moves swiftly, in large part due to Gabe Davis’ great work on bass. This is a fun track, with an arrangement by Rich Eames, who plays piano on it. “Want to laugh like a loon/It’s that old devil moon deep in your eyes.” Oh yes, everyone wants to experience love like that. And one thing I love about this track is that delightful lead on piano. That’s followed by a sweet rendition of “I Always Had A Thing For You,” a song with lyrics by Lorraine Feather and music by Shelly Berg. Mark Winkler delivers another passionate vocal performance on “Before You Leave.” Plus, this track features some pretty work on piano by Jon Mayer, who wrote the music and arranged this one. The lyrics are by Mark Winkler and Shelley Nyman. “Before this night is over/Back in your arms/Just love me one more time/Darling, before you leave.”
“Old Enough” is an original song that deals with aging and changing perspectives on music, gaining wisdom to appreciate certain things. Jamieson Trotter wrote the music and did the arrangement, and delivers some excellent work on piano. Kevin Winard plays percussion on this track. “And I’m old enough not to be fooled by the lights and the show/But I’m still young enough to know I don’t know all that much, don’t you know.” The lyrics might be directly about music, but obviously can be applied to other realms. Hey, my position has always been that no one knows all that much. That’s followed by “Marlena’s Memories,” which also touches upon aging, and more specifically confusion due to Alzheimer’s, and living within certain memories. Sure, the song is sad, but Mark Winkler somehow pulls something hopeful out of the situation. Jamieson Trotter also wrote the music and did the arrangement for this one.
The album concludes with “If Gershwin Had Lived.” There are times when I think about certain songwriters and musicians and wonder what they would have come up with had they lived longer. My girlfriend and I were just talking about Buddy Holly and all the great songs that were never written because of his early death. While Gershwin wasn’t quite as young as Buddy Holly when he died, he was still much too young. Mark Winkler sings, “If Gershwin had lived/Think of the songs he’d have written by now/The world would be better somehow/Think of the treasures he’d have found.” Just think if we could get even one more song from Gershwin, and how even that one song would impact the world of music. His music is among the most covered of any artist. Rich Eames did the arrangement for this track, and plays piano. At the very end, he gives us just a bit of “Rhapsody In Blue,” one of the greatest pieces of music ever composed.
CD Track List
- It Ain’t Necessarily So
- Don’t Be Blue
- When All The Lights In The Sign Worked
- Late Bloomin’ Jazzman
- In Another Way
- Bossa Nova Days
- Old Devil Moon
- I Always Had A Thing For You
- Before You Leave
- Old Enough
- Marlena’s Memories
- If Gershwin Had Lived
Late Bloomin’ Jazzman was released on April 8, 2022.
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