wing and a prayer presents:
Howard Markman - Half Smiles Blues Skies
waap 20051
"Great songs, stellar guitar work, and a band that simply kicks ass."

Howard Markman’s new CD tackles American musical forms with just the right mix of familiar touchstones and new ideas. Markman and an impressive supporting cast infuse rootsy bar band rock with lyric sensitivities and insights more commonly associated with folk and jazz. It’s an engaging mix that’s both rousing and irreverently reverent.
From the opening acoustic chords of "Anna", to the driving distorted guitar hook of "Big Hair", Howard masterfully evades the "musical border police". He jumps and merges styles with the sole purpose of bringing his songs to life. And those songs - clever word play, disarming honestly, a wicked sense of humour, and a keen eye for detail all brought together with a profound sense of craft and inspiration.
Howard is joined by a group of top-flight musicians (jennifer camp, mike alexander, craig considine, niki lee, denis malloy, paul margolis, jim seechuk, john thomakos, jay turner, andrew thurston, glenn workman) who obviously took great joy in working together. And working hard. Inspiring interplay, meticulous arrangements make the songs burst out of the speakers. You can hear the sweat and the smiles.

A veteran of the Baltimore music scene, Markman has played with a variety of Mobtown bands. From country to avant-garde, from folk-rock to R&B, Howard is probably most recognizable for his stint as the guitarist in the band "disappear fear" in the early nineties.
With "half smiles blue skies" Markman offers us a collection on songs, loosely connected, exploring the trials, the temptations and the absurdity of modern life. A life that sometimes gets dark, sad, and lonely, but approached with the right perspective it can be a wild and deeply satisfying ride. I think you'll feel the same way about this cd.