Live Review: Claire Martin and Richard Rodney Bennett

In their own right they are both formidable performers.

Richard Rodney Bennett, composer, lyricist and pianist - and Claire Martin was recently hailed as the best jazz singer for generations.

Now combine their talents on stage and you have a simply fantastic partnership. She with the sexy, husky voice, him with piano playing that is simply brilliant and he still packs a punch with his singing voice.

Their many duets were awesome and it was especially moving to hear them singing The Very Thought of You.

Claire's first solo had to be about shoes, what else, and the title was Do Wrong Shoes. Richard spoke about how he would often write lyrics in ordinary places like a train journey from Paddington to Maidenhead.

One amusing anecdote was when at the age of seven he asked his father about Noel Coward. He soon found out the subject was taboo so of course he made sure he found out all about him and his music. There was plenty of humour and also banter between them and their repertoire dated from 1930 to the present day.

It was a pure unadulterated chill-out jazz evening, like the sort in the smoke-filled bars featured in those black-and-white films.  Their last piece really summed up the evening, You Must Remember This - As Time Goes By, and you will do just that.

Robert Wright, EDP Norfolk website