Claire Martin - Too Much in Love to Care - Jazz Rag

Claire Martin comes marching on.  This time she's back in New York, where somehow she seems to produce her best work.  Also she's in illustrious company, her pianist being Kenny Barron, one of whose greatest achievements was in duo with Stan Getz on his latest recordings.  Her bassist and drummer are the very busy, but unrelated Peter Washington and Kenny Washington.  Supplying flute flavourings and alto alternatives is a new name, Steve Wilson.

This is stated to be her first album totally devoted to the so-called Great American Songbook.  However, two of them are new to my ears - the title song and Wonder Why - but both very singable.  Otherwise, Claire has selected a nicely varied programme, stylewise and tempowise, of which not many have been exhaustively used by singers.  And with her malleable voice, jazz instinctiveness and interpretative powers, she is able to revitalise most of them.  Interestingly, the most successful instances turn out to be three on which it's just her and Kenny - Embraceable You, Time After Time and Too Late Now.  Something about happy two-way teamings...

For one reason, Weaver of Dreams is a favoured track for me - because she manages effectively to get three whole choruses in, with some nice rephrasings.  Elsewhere it's all returning on the bridge, albeit leading to strong finishes.  But that's a minor quibble on my part, regarding an hour's enjoyable listening.

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