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CLAIRE MARTIN & RICHARD RODNEY BENNETT Witchcraft Linn Records AKD 359

1. I'm Gonna Laugh You Right Out of My Life
2. The Best is Yet to Come
3. The Rules of the Road
4. On Second Thought
5. Ev'rybody Today is Turning On
6. Sometime When You're Lonely
7. Let Me Down Easy
8. Nobody Does it Like Me
9. That's My Style
10. When In Rome (I Do as the Romans Do)
11. Witchcraft
12. With Every Breath I Take
13. On the Other Side of the Tracks
14. Would You Believe

Claire Martin - Vocals
Richard Rodney Bennett - Piano, vocals

 

I did not find this an easy record to review; here are two people at the top of their profession, one in jazz and the other in classical music. The sleeve-note by Brian Morton insists that we should see what we make of the whole, but not as what each individual contributes and of course he is right, but it is hard to do. Richard Rodney Bennett's accompaniments are too busy for the taste of many of the jazz fraternity, but his technique is phenomenal and he is obviously striving to provide suitable backings to the delightful Claire Martin.

Claire is one of the best of the newer generation female of jazz vocalists and she has obviously listened to the jazz greats of the past and absorbed something from all of them. Sometimes in this setting however, she sounds more like a musical show singer than a jazz singer.

In conclusion, we have here two excellent performers, but do they work well together? Not for me I'm afraid. I would sooner hear Claire Martin with a good jazz trio that would suit her style.

Don Mather

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