Claire Martin - Witchcraft - In Tune International

Thirty-five years later another perfect combination of singer and pianist reach out towards the sophisticated catalogue of Cy Coleman who was himself a fine jazz pianist/vocalist. Coleman's death in 2004 robbed the Broadway stage of one of its superior composers but there have subsequently been few attempts to anthologise his work. Having previously linked their talents in the recording studio, Claire and Richard have honed their relaxed bond with knowing and joyful creativity which shines through Claire's ballad I'M GONNA LAUGH YOU RIGHT OUT OF MY LIFE and the exquisite WITH EVERY BREATH I TAKE as well as the more upbeat choices crowned by the lightly raunchy NOBODY DOES IT LIKE ME.

Now no one would rate Sir Rodney's vocal talent as high-grade but his innate croaking musicality gruffly steers him through the emotional depths of the wistful SOMETIME WHEN YOU'RE LONELY and his shared vocals with Claire click the right buttons for THE BEST lS YET TO COME and THE RULES OF THE ROAD. I particularly enjoyed their ode to the excesses of the Seventies expertly spotlighted by EVRYBODY TODAY lS TURNING ON (from the 1977 Broadway musical I LOVE MY WIFE - lyrics Michael Stewart) and the intertwined THAT'S MY STYLE/l'M lN LOVE AGAIN (both wifh lyrics by Peggy Lee). Of course WITCHCRAFT can't possibly hold a candle to Sinatra's thrilling recording but it perfectly deserves to head the magical togetherness of this encounter.