Jazz Articles about Claire Martin

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Claire Martin: Improvisation, Inspiration, Imagination

by Katrina-Kasey Wheeler
September 13, 2007

Since Claire Martin's debut, The Waiting Game (Linn Records, 1992), she has been an instant success. She is hailed by many as the best British singer of the decade, with numerous prestigious awards and over ten albums to her credit. Martin started singing as a teenager and found her calling as a jazz singer early on. Having been influenced by such artists as Shirley Horn, Sheila Jordan, Peggy Lee and Ella Fitzgerald, she has successfully created her own unique sound ...

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Claire Martin & Richard Rodney Bennett: When Lights Are Low

by Michael P. Gladstone
April 29, 2006

I'm happy to report new activity from one of my favorite jazz vocalists, Claire Martin. Her new album is a duo recording with pianist (and vocalist) Richard Rodney Bennett. Despite the fact that Martin has released ten albums and a compilation since 1992, she still needs an introduction to even so-called jazz vocal enthusiasts. The British vocalist has recorded for Linn Records and has placed regularly on “best of" jazz surveys, sometimes within the top ten. She has won Best ...

like 115

Claire Martin: Every Now and Then: The Very Best of Claire Martin

by Dave Nathan
April 18, 2002

Claire Martin has been one of the more outstanding new voices of the 1990's, not only in her native England, but in the US as well. For her eighth album for the British Linn label, Martin has decided to look back by compiling some selections from those previous releases and include some of the better offerings found on her Linn recording resume. It's interesting that while most of the musical agenda is made up of jazz tunes, most of them ...

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Claire Martin: Perfect Alibi

by Craig Jolley
March 1, 2002

One of the best of a strong crop of young British jazz singers, Claire Martin has been on the scene for over ten years. Actually it's not clear she is a jazz singer, but that's another discussion. One thing that makes sense is her repertoire. She used to sing show tunes from the '30s and '40s and probably still does occasionally, but lately she's been recording the better pop songs of the last forty years (the Beatles and after). She ...

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Claire Martin: Take My Heart

by Ian Nicolson
March 1, 1999

Sensational young London-born jazz / folk singer Martin has built an enviable international reputation with her five Linn albums to date. Every date or session has revealed her catholic taste in songwriters, unwillingness to be categorised, and an exceptional ability to breathe personality into both unexpected and familiar tunes - all underpinned by the wit and technique to keep lyric, melody and swing in easy harness.

Whether her growing following will take easily to her latest depends on one simple ...