Ask Mark Winkler how he best likes to be described and he says, "'Well, I'm a singer. But I'm a lyricist, too. I like to think that I do both those activities equally well, and that one contributes to the other." Even a quick glance at his extensive background reveals that Winkler is right on target, His six albums have been highly praised by periodicals ranging from the Seattle Times and the Detroit Press to the Denver Post. He was one of the rare singers to establish a presence during the pioneering days of smooth and contemporary jazz, and his Tales from Hollywood recording was named a "Top 10 Contemporary Jazz CD" by Jazziz Magazine.
   And what about those lyrics? Winkler has written more than 350 songs, many of them recorded by the likes of Liza Minnelli, Kenny Rankin, Nancy Wilson, David Benoit and Randy Crawford (her 1989 hit, "Can't Stand the Pain" ) His duet with Dianne Reeves on "Garden of Earthly Delights" has been heard regularly on WAVE radio programming for years.
   And there's more. He also wrote several songs for the musical, Naked Boys Singing!, which has been running off-Broadway for eight months, with companies scheduled to open in London and Texas. And Too Old For The Chorus, also scheduled to open off-Broadway in the Fall, contains 20 Winkler songs (written with Marie Cain and Shelly Markham).                      
   All of those skills, his sensitivity as a performer and his insights as a lyricist are brought to bear in his new CHARTMAKER Jazz release, Easy the Hard Way. The production by Barbara Brighton positions Winkler in a particularly felicitous mainstream jazz setting, and he makes the most of it. "When Barbara suggested putting me together with straight ahead players like Billy Childs, John Mayer and Anthony Wilson, it sounded just right." Working with Brighton, Winkler put together a program of material that encompasses his own material, standards, and a pair of jazz classics.
   "Easy the Hard Way", the album's title track, was written a few years ago with keyboardist /composer Don Grusin. The standard, "Baby It's Cold Outside", was recorded in London with singer Claire Martin. "Funny thing is that we recorded it on the coldest day in October. We did it facing each other in the studio, live, and basically in one take. "Toys in the Attic" is one of three numbers brought to the production by Brighton. "'Barbara also brought Wayne Shorter's piece "Edda", suggesting I write lyrics for it in tribute to our mutual friend Ellen Cohn. I renamed it "Ellen's Song." "Lonely Woman" is the tune by Horace Silver, with lyrics written by the late jazz critc, Leonard Feather. "Ouiet Fire"', the final number, is from the score of Too Old For The Chorus. It provides an appropriate ending for an album that really represents a kind of journey through Winkler's life.
   Born and raised in the heart of Hollywood, he has been exposed to the entertainment world, in all its myriad manifestations, for his entire life. And his music is the vivid expression of the sights he has seen, the people he has encountered, and the experiences he has had. "I remember having an epiphany one night' he recalls, when I saw the Eagles getting this lifetime achievement award, and I realized that we were all about the same age. But the difference is that I felt then, and still feel, that my whole life, as a person and as artist, as amazing as Ws been so far, is still ahead of me."