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Claire
Martin/Richard Rodney Bennett -
When Lights Are Low (Linn)
I have a confession to make. I've become hooked on British jazz singers. It started with Stacey Kent, who isn't even British. She's an American, who won favor with British audiences. The story is too long to go into here...go look it up. Anyway, I figured that if I liked Ms. Kent, there must be other performers I needed to pay attention to, as well. Along the way, I discovered some I didn't like much at all, and others I liked a lot, such as Clare Teal. And Claire Martin. For someone who grew up listening to Peggy Lee, and Lena Horne, and Julie London - Claire Martin fits right in to my sensibilities. There's nothing that's not cool about her performances. On this disc, the backup is sparse - Sir Richard (a heavyweight in his own right) is pretty much it on the piano. It's a splendid showcase for two fabulous pros. Ms. Martin is solo on a half-dozen of the cuts; they're together on a couple ("The Very Thought of You" sparkles), and Bennett solos on a few more. Late night. Play this one. You'll like it.
- Doug Boynton |
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