Claire Martin - live review - The Times

There was more of a meeting of minds at Pizza on the Park in the residency of Claire Martin and Richard Rodney Bennett - another composer with a penchant for jazz and classy pop. Relaxed and intimate, this was much more like listening to two old friends reminiscing in song. In a freewheeling set devoted to the music of Cy Coleman, they ambled through some lesser-known material and found time to pay homage to the late Blossom Dearie, another of Manhattan's musical landmarks.

Martin's smoky voice has grown ever more assured over the years. Bennett, on the other hand, may not be a natural vocalist, but his semi-spoken delivery captures the streetwise charm of the lyrics, while his piano playing possesses a rich, bluesy flavour. He wears a dinner jacket, she wears jeans; together they make a stylish combination.