Claire Martin - The Waiting Game - Jazz Times

Claire Martin is a singer. This, her first album, previously available in Europe, presents a gifted interpreter of songs, with a wonderful sense of repertoire. She has clearly thought through each tune very thoroughly, finding musical moments on which to leave her imprint: these moments usually serve to focus her approach to the song, bringing lyric, tune and supporting quartet into meaningful relationship.

Meaningful relationships drive the set: it's the inspiration (sometimes ironic) for much of the material here, and clearly applies to the way Martin relates to the quartet led by Jonathan Gee...Her set ranges from well-chosen standards to offerings from the likes of Joni Mitchell, Thomas Dolby, and Martin herself; the sage advice of Betty Carter's aptly titled "Tight", and a simmering reading of Lieber and Stoller's "Some Cats" deserve special mention.