Claire Martin "World Class" at Ronnie Scott's

Claire Martin has kicked off 2008 with aplomb performing a residency at the legendary Ronnie Scott's in Soho, London. She has made the venue something of a second home in recent years and as the review in the Evening Standard by Jack Massarik indicates, it's a dream combination: 

"Few UK artists can headline at Ronnie Scott's as effectively as Claire Martin, a charismatic singer and world-class icebreaker.

"I wish somebody would make lipstick that doesn't stick to your hair," she said after her second number, and from that moment the audience was hers. For the next hour it was instructive to note how many boxes our homegrown diva ticked.

Decent backing trio? Full marks there, with bass-guitar virtuoso Laurence Cottle, piano dazzler Gareth Williams and youngblood drummer Chris Dagley, all eager jazz improvisers.

Hip repertoire? No worries here. Claire keeps tabs on global releases and brought in fresh numbers such as You Don't Love Me Like You Useta, by fast-talking US soubrette Kevyn Latau, Love of Another ("I love you but there's hate there, too") by probing Norwegian songwriter Rebekka Bakken, and Brighter Days, by another quirky Scandinavian songstress, Christina Bjordahl.

Tourists were obliged with standards by Streisand (Music that Makes Me Dance), Joni Mitchell (Cherokee Louise), Johnny Mandel (Here's to Life) and Julie London (Meaning of the Blues), delivered with equally soulful intonation, hip phrasing and careful control of pitch and vibrato.

Claire loves a clever lyric - who else would select Jive, by Michael Franks, or Partners in Crime, by Rupert Holmes? - and judging from her range of facial expressions on All Night Long, could act the pants off any soap star.

Perhaps one day this will be her fate. Ronnie Scott's original big-band vocalist, remember, was none other than Barbara Windsor."