Gary Walters

Mark Ortwein: It Was Time

by Jack Bowers
March 16, 2023

A byproduct of waiting as long as Mark Ortwein has to record one's first album as leader can be reaching too far and trying too hard to achieve perfection. That seems to be the case with It Was Time, wherein Ortwein's versatility is never in doubt--he plays nine instruments on the album--but his musical choices are too often below the norm. Whatever the reason or reasons, Ortwein planned the program to suit his taste and is answerable for the outcome. ...