Los Angeles, CA, October 16, 2025 –(CarryOnHarry.com)– Prolific vocalist and lyricist Mark Winkler has released his 22nd album, Hold On, a collection of mostly original tunes with, according to Winkler, “a few tasty standards for good measure.”
An acclaimed artist on the Los Angeles jazz scene, Winkler’s original songs have been sung and recorded by a cadre of top singers like Dianne Reeves, Joe Sample, Randy Crawford, and Dee Dee Bridgewater.
Over his long recording career, Winkler has invited other top jazz vocalists to join him in the studio. He has recorded with Jackie Ryan, Steve Tyrell, Claire Martin, and Sara Gazarek, among others. He shared top billing on two albums with Cheryl Bentyne from the iconic group The Manhattan Transfer, and collaborated with David Benoit on their album Old Friends, about which Jersey Jazz said, “Winkler is one of the best male vocalists on the jazz scene.”
Big Noise has worked with Winkler since 2013.
Despite his long tenure at the microphone, Winkler does not just sit on his laurels. Each new album builds on the previous one. According to JW Vibe, “Winkler is one of those rare artists who not only never misses, but keeps getting better with time.”
Winkler continues to seek new and interesting ways of expressing himself through the creative energy he draws from working with other like-minded artists. For Hold On, he worked with six stellar pianists, including Grammy Award Winner John Beasley, Rich Eames, Tamir Hendelman, Eric Reed, Greg Gordon Smith, and Jamieson Trotter. Each brings his own style to the project, creating a rich tapestry of sounds.
Also joining Winkler are some top Los Angeles players including Gabe Davis (bass), Christian Euman (drums), Kendall Kay (drums), Bob Sheppard (sax), Brian Swartz (trumpet), Lemar Guillary (trombone), Joey De Leon (percussion), George Doering (guitar), Emmy Award Nominee Grant Geissmann (guitar), and The GGS Singers (background vocals).
The album was produced by Barbara Brighton, who also produced eight of Winkler’s previous albums.
Over the years, Winkler mainly wrote lyrics with four major collaborator composers. For Hold On, Winkler co-wrote four of the eleven songs with Greg Gordon Smith, whose production company specializes in cinematic original music and sonic branding for major brands like Hulu and Dolby. Winkler says, “Greg is a fantastic composer. We’re really in sync with each other. I feel like I found my very own Bacharach.”
Winkler opens the album with the title track, his original co-written with Smith, “Hold On,” which Smith also arranged. “A Little Taste” is an iconic Dave Frishberg song. Winkler was attracted to its witty, literate lyrics. As a lyricist, Winkler is particularly drawn to great writers and considers Frank Loesser one of the best. Most versions of Loesser’s “If I Were a Bell” have been sung by women, but Winkler could not resist singing it.
Winkler is a film buff and loves noir and campy sci-fi moves. “Cat Women on the Moon” is his homage to the goofy sci-fi flicks of the fifties. After Frank Sinatra put his imprimatur on “It Was a Very Good Year,” relatively few people dared to record it. But Winkler finds his own way with the song after he was inspired by a bossa nova version he heard.
Another collaboration with Smith, Winkler co-wrote the swinger “My Future’s Just a Memory.” Written from the perspective of an older person, the song is about consciously savoring the good moments of your life. Billy Joel’s “Vienna,” a song suggested by Brighton, features Beasley’s spare and elegant arrangement, which allows the lyrics to shine.
Winkler was inspired to write “Train in the Desert” after visiting an exhibit of Georgia O’Keefe’s paintings. When Winkler started dating again after his husband passed away, he met some “interesting” people. “The Devil Don’t Want a Saint,” arranged by Eames, was inspired by one guy in particular who wound up being quite different than he pretended to be.
Composed by Smith, “My Electric Car” is Winkler’s homage to clean energy. Winkler closes the album with “I Dream of You Each Night.” It was inspired by the TV series Fellow Travelers, a show about two gay men in the 1950s who had to hide their decades-long relationship. Coming of age in the 60s and 70s, Winkler well understands the oppression that gay men endured.
Mark Winkler has accrued a legion of fans because he has shown time and again his ability to engage hearts and minds as a performer, recording artist, and lyricist. Hold On brings us into Winkler’s world where swing, humor, and even elegance conspire to create a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience.
Hold On was released on Café Pacific Records and is available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and all streaming platforms.
Gaithersburg, MD, October 16, 2025 –(CarryOnHarry.com)– Rock band Black Halo has released the second single from their forthcoming debut record, Utopia. While there’s been no shortage of rock bands releasing songs celebrating substance abuse in pursuit of good times, Black Halo takes a different track with this song.
The lead single, “Darkness Falls,” focuses on the problem of trying to get someone we love to stop indulging because it’s destroying them, and part of us along with them. Utopia is a concept album that tells the story of two young people struggling through their respective miseries. The man has his own problems, but his inability to help the woman he loves overcome her addiction worsens his turmoil.
“We know it can be hard to reach people,” says guitarist and songwriter Randy Ellefson, who lost a co-worker to suicide in 2023. “Maybe a song won’t do it, but it does happen, and it has for me when lyrics resonated with me. I’d rather take the approach of encouraging people to find another way to deal with the darkness inside them, because drugs and alcohol are likely to only make it darker.”
“Darkness Falls” is now available on all major streaming platforms and YouTube. Visit https://linktr.ee/blackhalometal for access to these and Black Halo’s social media, merch, and website hub.
For more information, send to blackhalo@randyellefson.com.
New York, NY, September 16, 2025 –(CarryOnHarry.com)– Grammy®-Nominated Pianist Donald Vega Announces Release of New Single “Let’s Pray” Septmeber 19, 2025 via Imagery Records/Tiger Turn, featuring John Patitucci, Lewis Nash, and Luisito Quintero.
“Beautifully rendered and emotionally uplifting.” — Jim Hynes, Making a Scene
Grammy®-nominated pianist and composer Donald Vega will release his new single, Let’s Pray, on Friday, September 19, 2025. Recorded at Samurai Hotel Recording Studio during the 2023 sessions for Vega’s Grammy®-nominated album As I Travel, the track features an all-star lineup: John Patitucci on bass, Lewis Nash on drums, and Luisito Quintero on percussion.
Reflecting on the composition, Vega shares: “Music is my way of praying. I happened to write Let’s Pray during the pandemic. But the composition is just as timely today as ever.”
Vega, a classically trained pianist from Nicaragua, immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 14, where he was introduced to jazz through mentorship from drummer Billy Higgins and bassist John Clayton. He later honed his craft at USC, Manhattan School of Music, and The Juilliard School, studying under the legendary Kenny Barron. Today, Vega tours internationally as the pianist for the esteemed Ron Carter and is recognized as a composer, collaborator, and bandleader.
“Vega’s story is that of an immigrant child escaping brutal political violence, and it’s a poignant one to hear — especially after the second inauguration of Donald Trump…” – Morgan Enos, JazzTimes
In addition to his performance career, Vega is a dedicated educator and professor at The Juilliard School. His contributions to jazz composition were honored with a 2023 Guggenheim Fellowship. He also serves on the board of BackCountry Jazz, an organization committed to providing music education for underprivileged youth.
As I Travel (Imagery Records, 2023) earned Vega a Grammy® nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album, solidifying his standing as one of the leading voices in contemporary jazz. With Let’s Pray, Vega offers listeners not only an evocative composition but also a message of peace, unity, and community through the universal language of music.
Let’s Pray will be available on all major streaming platforms beginning September 19, 2025.
