MARK WINKLER & CHERYL BENTYNE - Eastern Standard Time
Café Pacific Records CPCD 4065
Mark Winkler & Cheryl Bentyne (vocals), Rich Eames (piano), Bob Sheppard (saxophone), Grant Geissman (guitar), Pat Kelley (guitar track 7), Gabe David (bass), Dave Tull (drums), Kevin Winard (percussion) Stehanie Fife (cello)
This is the second collaboration of Cheryl Bentyne of Manhattan Transfer fame and LA-based vocalist Mark Winkler. Their first, West Coast Cool was released in 2013, going to No. 16 on the Jazzweek chart.
The album opens with a Cuban interpretation of Bob Dorough’s ‘Devil May Care’. The excellent band support throughout, driving a strong rhythm behind Bentyne’s bell-like tones and Winkler’s fuzzy-edged warm voice; as the press release suggests, this pair go together “like champagne and caviar”.
This album exudes polish and class, but also a great sense of fun. There are quotes aplenty in Like Jazz, lyrics by Winkler and an uber-cool sax solo from Bob Sheppard and the Wes Montgomery number ‘Bumpin’ has lyrics added by Winkler and in-keeping octave style guitar interjections and solo from Grant Geissman, where the band really stretches out, accompanied by both piano and Hammond organ – the pianist, Rich Eames, is credited but there’s no mention of the organ on the literature I have: I assume this is Eames capably doubling to provide the smoky backing to this track.
For this album, Bentyne and Winkler had chosen songs that typically would have been heard in NYC clubs back in the 50s and 60s and they have succeeded in recreating the atmosphere with this great offering.
Reviewed by Wendy Kirkland
Café Pacific Records CPCD 4065
Mark Winkler & Cheryl Bentyne (vocals), Rich Eames (piano), Bob Sheppard (saxophone), Grant Geissman (guitar), Pat Kelley (guitar track 7), Gabe David (bass), Dave Tull (drums), Kevin Winard (percussion) Stehanie Fife (cello)
This is the second collaboration of Cheryl Bentyne of Manhattan Transfer fame and LA-based vocalist Mark Winkler. Their first, West Coast Cool was released in 2013, going to No. 16 on the Jazzweek chart.
The album opens with a Cuban interpretation of Bob Dorough’s ‘Devil May Care’. The excellent band support throughout, driving a strong rhythm behind Bentyne’s bell-like tones and Winkler’s fuzzy-edged warm voice; as the press release suggests, this pair go together “like champagne and caviar”.
This album exudes polish and class, but also a great sense of fun. There are quotes aplenty in Like Jazz, lyrics by Winkler and an uber-cool sax solo from Bob Sheppard and the Wes Montgomery number ‘Bumpin’ has lyrics added by Winkler and in-keeping octave style guitar interjections and solo from Grant Geissman, where the band really stretches out, accompanied by both piano and Hammond organ – the pianist, Rich Eames, is credited but there’s no mention of the organ on the literature I have: I assume this is Eames capably doubling to provide the smoky backing to this track.
For this album, Bentyne and Winkler had chosen songs that typically would have been heard in NYC clubs back in the 50s and 60s and they have succeeded in recreating the atmosphere with this great offering.
Reviewed by Wendy Kirkland
