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| Linn Records: New Claire Martin and Richard Rodney Bennett Album Linn Records announced the release of Claire Martin and Richard Rodney Bennett album "When Lights Are Low". On the surface it’s an unlikely pairing. You’ve got Claire Martin, the cheeky south London jazz singer with brilliant technique and beautiful voice with Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, the bow-tie wearing gent and one time Pierre Boulez student best known for his film scores (Four Weddings, Murder On the Orient Express). At 69 he is nearly twice her age, and together they make a fun, sassy duo. Friends for fifteen years, the idea for this album was born when Bennett played piano on Martin’s last release, “Secret Love” (a heartfelt reading of My Buddy). However, as well as being justly lauded for his film scores, Bennett has also produced over 200 works for the concert hall (including the LSO, NY Philharmonic and BBC Proms) and is no stranger to jazz having performed with the likes of Annie Ross and Cleo Laine. Martin is a peerless singer who can swing, scat and phrase with the best and is rightly lauded as the finest jazz singer of her generation. But for those of us who have seen her recently fronting the funky Laurence Cottle Big Band, the Hallé Orchestra or her marvelous quartet this album may be something of a surprise. Just her, Sir Richard Rodney Bennett and a piano, beautifully recorded in New York. But as Martin reveals: “I always wanted to work with Richard. He sings beautifully and he plays great piano, he has such a beautiful touch and really cool ideas. Plus he knows loads of great quirky songs, not just the old ones – everything from Cole Porter to Bacharach/Costello and where they come from”. That’s what this album is about, the old fashioned virtue of great songs, beautifully played and sung. In choosing to record them in this way they let the songs breathe, leaving themselves plenty of room to explore the nuance, meaning and heart of some wonderful songs write your comments about the article :: © 2005 Jazz News :: home page |