Claire Martin - A Modern Art - Soul and Jazz and Funk

Where ever-dependable Claire Martin's last album was a tribute to Shirley Horn, this new set is an intriguing mix of brand new material, carefully chosen covers and an eclectic dip into the great American Songbook. The two from that last source are Cy Coleman's 'Everybody Today Is Turning On' and Rodgers and Hart's 'Everything I've Got Belongs To You' while of the other covers perhaps the most interesting is a take on Steely Dan's 'Things I Miss The Most' while a version of Esbjorn Svensson's 'Love Is Real' has an outstanding soul quality. Of Claire's original material 'Edgeways' is a Latin delight, rivalled by the album's title cut which takes a much-needed swipe at celebrity culture and the dumbing-down of popular music... naturally, no dumbing-down here though.