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Beverley Church Hogan: Sweet Invitation
by Pierre Giroux
The entertainment business only rarely offers second chances. However, that does seem to be the case for singer Beverley Church Hogan. Born and raised in Montreal, Canada, she began singing as a pre-teen, managed to have a regular gig on the radio and then, by her late teens, was singing in clubs and U.S.O. styled military shows. At 21, she relocated to Los Angeles, was offered a recording contract by Capitol Records but, for a variety of familial reasons, turned ...
Continue ReadingDan Olivo: Day by Day
by Richard J Salvucci
“Hey there, cutes, Put on your dancin' boots, And come dance with me." Frank Sinatra could get away with that and much more because he had a great voice, great musicians, great arrangers, and great bandleaders. The entire package. Frank defined a certain kind of 1950s and 1960s Vegas hip, and if you had a problem with it, too bad. He influenced a lot of singers and players, and once he was gone, there were no ...
Continue ReadingMark Winkler: Late Bloomin' Jazzman
by Edward Blanco
Veteran singer, platinum-selling lyricist and songwriter Mark Winkler delivers his twentieth album as leader, Late Bloomin' Jazzman, beginning with a George Gershwin standard, ending with a Gershwin tribute and, in between, presenting romantic ballads, a bit of swing and a touch of bossa. An educator at UCLA who teaches the art of songwriting, Winkler brings this remarkable talent to the fore on this album, providing his own lyrics to seven of the twelve songs which he suddenly realized “talk about ...
Continue ReadingMark Winkler: Late Bloomin' Jazzman
by Richard J Salvucci
Anyone who can hold their own on a stage on in a studio with Cheryl Bentyne cannot be all bad, right? Even if one's taste runs more to Harry Connick, Jr than to Mark Murphy, it is difficult not to get seriously into Mark Winkler. Oh, he can sing, for sure, but even if he could not carry a tune, he is a lyricist for the ages. Not all ages, mind you. But for those of a certain age, sensibility, ...
Continue ReadingDavid Finck: BASSic Instinct
by Jack Bowers
There's so much variety on BASSic Instinct, bassist David Finck's sixth recording as leader, that it's almost like grooving on half a dozen or more albums for the price of one. Ensembles run the gamut from duo to octet, with vocals added on three of its thirteen engaging numbers. Besides governing the rhythm, composing three of the numbers and arranging all of them, Finck shoulders melodic duties on five tracks and solos effectively throughout. As suits his temperament, every number ...
Continue ReadingJane Monheit: Come What May
by Richard J Salvucci
Some reviews should be easy, particularly when the artist is established, celebrated, and universally esteemed. Almost anyone interested in contemporary jazz and pop singing knows Jane Monheit. Quoting SFJAZZ directly, “In 1998, Monheit was a finalist at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz International Vocals Competition, taking second to the late Teri Thornton. She recorded twelve albums, was a GRAMMY nominee for her 2004 Sony release Taking a Chance on Love, and has worked with Terence Blanchard, Ivan Lins, Michael ...
Continue ReadingMark Winkler: Old Friends
by C. Michael Bailey
The appeal of singer and lyricist Mark Winkler is not that he has an outstanding vocal instrument. Rather, it is uniquely unique; easily identifiable. Winkler has what Broadway composers once called a “lyricist's voice." It is a voice of a song writer that is honest and genuine and that is where Winkler gets to the listener. A serious artist, he never sounds as if he takes himself too seriously (much like Dean Martin). And, therein lies his charm. Winkler's voice ...
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