Claire Martin Sings with Kenny Barron - Too Much in Love To Care

Like all really good jazz singers, Claire Martin blossoms in the presence of really good jazz musicians. In this case her accompaniment is in the hands of Kenny Barron, a pianist of brilliance and intuitive delicacy, and she has never sounded better. The two of them, reshaping Gershwin's Embraceable You epitomise the artistry that has kept such classic songs alive. From Barron's ingenious introduction to Martin's final phrase, beautifully controlled at almost a whisper, it's perfect. All 13 tracks contain similar delights. The bass-and-drums dream team of Kenny and Peter Washington completes the picture. --The Observer - Dave Gelly

Noting what she terms 'a faint audible sigh of relief whenever I start singing something familiar at gigs', Claire Martin has finally succumbed to this politest form of pressure and recorded (for the first time) an album entirely devoted to the Great American Songbook. The result will undoubtedly delight said sighers, for not only does Martin herself turn in a flawless performance, but she has also enlisted the services of arguably the greatest living interpreter of such material, pianist Kenny Barron, impeccably supported by bassist Peter Washington, drummer Kenny Washington and flautist/saxophonist Steve Wilson. Beginning with a relatively obscure standard, the Kriegsmann/Coates title-track ('virtually untouched since Carmen McRae recorded it in 1954' according to liner-note writer Will Friedwald), Martin subsequently ventures into more familiar territory, including an affecting duo with Barron on the evergreen 'Embraceable You', a touching visit to 'How Long Has This been Going On?' and a triumph of revitalisation, considering how frequently it's been recorded a perfect rendition of 'I Only Have Eyes for You'. Martin's great strengths crystal-clear diction, an apparently informal ease of delivery that conceals considerable art, an ability (springing from a keen intelligence) to inject precisely the right amount of emotion into a lyric are all on display throughout a thirteen-song set, and with the Washingtons, Wilson and the peerless Barron (characteristically combining luminously delicate lyricism with sparkling vigour as required) in top form, this is an unalloyed treat from start to finish. --Chris Parker - Jazzwise

Claire Martin is one of the few British chanteuses who can impress American aficionados, and this CD shows why. It's devoted to the great American songbook, and includes some little-known gems. Martin's voice has a warmly seductive edge when she sings Don't be a naughty baby in Embraceble You, it's like an invitation to do just the opposite. --Daily Telegraph - Ivan Hewett