GEOFFREY LEIGH TOZER Jazz singer/pianist and radio fabulist Geoffrey Leigh Tozer was born in Englewood, New Jersey . . . a long time ago. He grew up fast on the shores of the Hudson River studying classical music and piano in high school and college and later jazz and cabaret in nightclubs on the upper East Side of Manhattan. Just before graduating from Columbia University with an MBA in Corporate Finance he was offered a gig singing at a piano bar in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was the first leg of a fascinating journey and worldwide singing and storytelling career. Putting his MBA to work he started as an options trader in downtown Manhattan and quickly rose to partner in the investment banking firm of Gilford Securities. But Wall Street wasn't his passion. After only seven years he gave up his three piece suits and wingtips to concentrate fully on his real love; performing. Soon Hollywood called and he was off to California to begin a career as film and television composer, actor and cabaret singer (9 ½ Ninjas, When The Party's Over, Sensations, Sunset Heat, Car 54 Where Are You?, "Wild West's Most Wanted" (Discovery), "Behind The Sun," "The Dress," "Mrs. Satan," "Miss/Match," "Bella Mafia," "Spicy Cit"y (HBO), and "Knott's Landing"(CBS). And all this time he was perfecting his storytelling skills in small theaters, cabarets and major venues. Recently he headlined at the Sixth Annual Los Angeles Storytelling Festival. But his true calling is on the radio as a storyteller. "It's all I want to do, I absolutely crave it" he says. And he has developed the character and the radio show Sly Crooner of Swanktown to satisfy that hunger.
Mark Winkler is a platinum award winning singer/lyricist who has had over 150 of his songs recorded and/or sung by such artists as Dianne Reeves, Randy Crawford, Liza Minnelli, Bob Dorough and Lea Salonga. Mark has released 9 CDs in the US. His new CD of mostly original Winkler lyrics, Till I Get It Right was released in March of 2009 on Freeham Records. He is the co-writer of the hit musical revue Naked Boys Singing! in its 10th year playing Off Broadway, and released as a movie on DVD. He is the creator and co-writer of Too Old for the Chorus which has played successful engagements in Los Angeles, Seattle and San Diego. He has won both L.A. Weekly and BackStage West awards for best score for Naked Boys Singing! He has also co-written songs for the musical revues Bark! and Hangin' Out. His jazz musical Play it Cool which premiered in Los Angeles in 2007 got "Critics Choice" in the L.A. Times was nominated for Best Musical-Off Broadway by GLAAD.
Created in 1983, MAC is an incorporated 501(c)(6) organization whose mission is to advance the art and business of live entertainment. Our members include performers in cabaret, comedy, jazz, directors and musical directors, technical directors, musicians, club owners and booking managers, composers and lyricists, journalists and publicists, artists' managers and agents, and supporters of live entertainment. www.MACNYC.com
ASCAP is a membership association of more than 360,000 U.S. composers, songwriters, lyricists, and music publishers of every kind of music. Through agreements with affiliated international societies, ASCAP also represents hundreds of thousands of music creators worldwide. ASCAP is the only U.S. performing rights organization created and controlled by composers, songwriters and music publishers, with a Board of Directors elected by and from the membership. ASCAP protects the rights of its members by licensing and distributing royalties for the non-dramatic public performances of their copyrighted works. ASCAP's licensees encompass all who want to perform copyrighted music publicly. ASCAP makes giving and obtaining permission to perform music simple for both creators and users of music. www.ASCAP.org
