Claire Martin - He Never Mentioned Love - The Sunday Times

Very much a singer's singer, Shirley Horn was one of the best-kept secrets in jazz. Claire Martin has long been her leading admirer on this side of the water, and now, almost two years after the older woman's death, she has delivered her own tribute. The shimmering title track illustrates how thoroughly she has assimilated that superhumanly relaxed phrasing. It's a song that is almost too introspective for its own good, but Martin's smoky voice has never sounded more authoritative. A fine cast of backing musicians, including the trumpeter Gerard Presencer, adds pungent solos. Miss Horn would have approved.