To British jazz fans, Ronnie Scott's Club is London's equivalent of the Village Vanguard -- the venue improvisers headline when they have "arrived."
Claire Martin
has headlined Scott's more than once, and was well received during the August 1995 engagement documented on
Offbeat
(her only live CD). Joined by an intimate and tasteful British trio comprising pianist
Gareth Williams
, bassist
Arnie Somogyi
and drummer
Clark Tracey
, the cool-toned singer is as expressive as she is adventurous. Never one to be predictable in her choice of material, she demonstrates that everything from
Stevie Wonder's
"Make Sure You're Sure" and
Paul Simon's
"I Do it for Your Love" to
Laura Nyro's
"Buy and Sell" can work quite well as acoustic jazz. Hopefully,
Martin
will record more live albums in the future. ~ Alex Henderson