Secret Love - In-Tune International

Claire Martin has continued to earn an enviable reputation through hard work, with many awards rightly confirming the respect with which she is regarded by fellow musicians. Hopefully, Secret Love (Linn AKD 246) will expand the popularity of her appealing smoky-tinged voice, laced with a slightly world-weary demeanour which faintly recalls June Christy and the choice of SOMETHING COOL and GET HAPPY underlines this fact. With contrasting technique and tempo, there is much to commend Claire's sure-footed and gentle approach to that tasteful ballad WHERE DO YOU START? ideally backed by guitarist Jim Mullen, while Sir Richard Rodney Bennett checks piano keys for the highlight track MY BUDDY. A low-key gospel feel fuels GOD GIVE ME STRENGTH; LOVE IS A BORE reveals Claire's jazz-styled dexterity and a male chorus-backed JIVE achieves a nicely hip feel. An artfully conceived CHEEK TO CHEEK builds upon the usual concepts, with any damage limitation skilfully manoeuvred by Claire's talented musicians.