Claire Martin - Almost In Your Arms (2024) [Official Digital Download 24/96]

Claire Martin is one of the most accomplished and inspired jazz singers in the world today. Full stop. This is a statement that would find virtually universal agreement with jazz writers, reviewers, broadcasters, listeners and live-performance audiences. Claire is always keen to find different projects and fresh inspirations, as attested by her remarkable recordings in recent years. In 2023, her previous album, 'I Watch You Sleep', was an orchestral celebration, with pianist & arranger Scott Dunn, of her close friend Richard Rodney Bennett, the legendary composer-pianist-singer. Prior to that, in 2020, a collaboration with big band arranger, trombonist, Callum Au, called 'Songs & Stories', featured jazz standards and Songbook classics; and the year before, in 2019, she released 'Bumpin' with a quartet led by Scottish guitarist, Jim Mullen, highlighting the compositions of Wes Montgomery. However, on her new album, 'Almost in Your Arms', Claire returns to a previous successful formula: her highly experienced Swedish trio of pianist Martin Sjöstedt, double bass player, Niklas Fernqvist and drummer, Daniel Fredriksson. They accompanied her on her 2019 Linn album, 'Believin’ It', and appeared together the year before at Ronnie Scott's Club, in London, before going on to play to sell-out audiences in Sweden and Madrid. To this exemplary trio, Claire has added a number of superlative guest musicians: Swedish saxophonist Karl-Martin Almqvist; American vibes player Joe Locke; British guitarist Mark Jaimes; the pianist Nikki Iles, here playing accordion; and a vocal from US organist/pianist, Charlie Wood - plus the producer, James McMillan, on trumpet, flugelhorn, keyboards and programming. So, on 'Almost in Your Arms', in addition to the inspiration created by recording once again with her trio of leading Swedish musicians, and her starry list of guests, Claire's innate enthusiasm for fresh stimulus and intriguing contrasts was invested in assembling a selection of material which she, with the assistance of James McMillan, found strong personal resonance with. The songs Claire has chosen further indicate her wide-ranging interest and knowledge in the many sub-genre areas of popular music and jazz. Claire Martin has been singing professionally since she was 19 years old, and has performed all over the world, across the past 37 years, even if that is hard to believe. She has won more awards and prizes than there is room to list here. Perhaps, to put it simply, some artists just keep getting better. Listen to this astounding album, if proof were needed

TRACKLIST

1 I Feel A Song Coming On
2 This One's From The Heart
3 Almost In Your Arms
4 Apparently, I'm Fine
5 Bitter With The Sweet
6 The Art Teacher
7 Train In The Desert
8 This House Is Empty Now
9 Water And Salt
10 September Song
11 Do You Ever Wonder?



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