THERE are many fine female jazz singers in the UK nowadays. But Claire Martin must be the pick of them.
It is difficult to see how she can be matched, let alone beaten, for vocal technique, rhythm, soul and sheer stage presence.
If she has a weak spot it might be that the lyrics – often witty and well worth hearing in jazz numbers – are not always put over with great clarity.
From the very beginning of every number Martin tends to stretch, bend and explore the melody and the words are sometimes a victim. But the sheer musicianship makes this a relatively minor complaint.
With her piano-bass-drums trio, Martin played the sellout Saturday night gig at Marsden Jazz Festival.
To begin with, I thought I would miss the presence of a horn, to add tonal variety and to spar with the singer.
In fact, this was not an issue, thanks to the sparkling piano of Gareth Williams and, most notably, the bass guitar of Laurence Cottle.
The electric bass, as opposed to the acoustic stand-up instrument, has retreated a little in swing-based jazz in recent years.
But on Saturday we heard what it has to offer, especially in some florid solos, high on the fretboard, which had accuracy of articulation and intonation that the traditional bass finds it hard to match
And in case we were still missing a horn, tenor sax star Dave O’Higgins came on stage to make a blazing contribution to the final numbers.
