Mark Winkler: The Rules Don’t Apply review – crisp, timeless joie de vivre

Over a long career and a score of albums, Los Angeles vocalist Mark Winkler has flown slightly under the radar, acclaimed for his songwriting (covered by Randy Crawford and Dianne Reeves, among others) as much as his singing. True to its title, his previous outing, 2022’s Late Bloomin ’ Jazzman , hit a sweet spot, a showcase for a persona that slides between unabashed exuberance and hipster cool, with versions of well-worn standards and sharply cut originals. The Rules Don’t Apply carries on seamlessly, albeit with more diverse arrangements.

Winkler hymns his home town to a big band on Sunday in LA – you can smell the sunshine – and flips to the east coast and a small group for In Love in New York , a surprise discovery of romance among the towers and rubbish-strewn sidewalks. Among the covers (Donald Fagen, Randy Newman, Paul Simon), a downbeat take on the Beatles’ Got to Get You Into My Life is the surprise winner.

Somewhat like the late Mark Murphy , Winkler has a narrative, almost conversational style, always fresh, rarely downcast – qualities that shine on his paeans to jazz itself and on the reflective Lessons I’ve Learned . The musicianship is always crisp and Winkler’s joie de vivre infectious. Timeless stuff.