Mark Winkler is a platinum award winning singer/lyricist who has had over 150 of his songs recorded and/or sung by such artists as Dianne Reeves, Randy Crawford, Liza Minnelli, Bob Dorough and Lea Salonga.
He has written lyrics for tunes by such esteemed composers as Wayne Shorter, Dexter Gordon,Joshua Redman and David Benoit. A composition he co-wrote with David Benoit, "Land of the Loving", is featured in all of the Philippine National Tourism Board's 2008/2009 TV commercials.
Mark has released 10 CDs in the US. His 11th CD (releasing August 2011) is entitled Sweet Spot and is the follow up to his 2009 release Till I Get It Right which was chosen as one of the 10 Best Vocal CDs of that year by Jazz Times Magazine. Sweet Spot once again showcases Winkler’s skill as a consummate lyricist and singer, but this time features him on 4 standards including "On Broadway" and "But Not For Me", as well as Andre Previn’s "Like Young" and Bobby Troup’s "Their Hearts Were Full of Spring". The title cut is a Winkler original that is a duet between him and Vocalist Supreme Barbara Morrison, with a guitar solo by Grant Geissman. Always known for the company he keeps, this time he ups the ante with such jazz stars as Billy Childs,Grant Geissman, Bob Sheppard, Greg Hutchinson and Anthony Wilson.
Mark is the co-writer of the hit Musical Review (now out on DVD as well) "Naked Boys Singing!" in its 11th year playing Off Broadway. He is the creator and co-writer of "Too Old for the Chorus" which has played successful engagements in Los Angeles, Seattle and San Diego. He has won both L.A. Weekly and Backstage West awards for best score for "Naked Boys Singing!" He has also co-written songs for the musical revues "Bark!" and "Hangin' Out".
His jazz noir musical "Play it Cool" premiered in Los Angeles in 2007 and was honored with the distinction of "Critics Choice" by the Los Angeles Times. It was chosen to be part of the prestigious New York Musical Theatre Festival in September of 2008 where it sold out all performances and got excellent reviews. It was also nominated for Best Musical-Off Broadway by GLAAD. On September 12th, 2011 "Play It Cool" opens for a limited Off Broadway run at the Acorn Theatre on Theatre Row in New York City.
As an educator Mark has taught seminars in lyric writing at The Songwriters Guild and the Learning Annex, and he now teaches "Crafting Great Lyrics: A Songwriters Workshop" at UCLA Extension and several workshops on Jazz CD Production and Marketing.
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