Claire Martin & Richard Rodney Bennett - When Lights Are Low '2005

Tracks list

Tracklist:

01. My One And Only (2:38)
02. I Was A Little Too Lonely (2:01)
03. My Mood Is You (3:18)
04. World Weary (3:06)
05. When Lights Are Low (2:56)
06. Fools Fall In Love (3:18)
07. I Got A Right To Sing The Blues (3:40)
08. Baby Plays Around (3:29)
09. The Very Thought Of You (4:55)
10. What I Was Warned About (2:52)
11. Baby, Don’t You Quit Now (3:01)
12. No Love, No Nothing (3:45)
13. Not Exactly Paris (3:16)
14. Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home (2:50)
15. I Keep Going Back To Joe’s (3:24)
16. We’ll Be Together Again (3:44)

Tracklist:

01. My One And Only (2:38)
02. I Was A Little Too Lonely (2:01)
03. My Mood Is You (3:18)
04. World Weary (3:06)
05. When Lights Are Low (2:56)
06. Fools Fall In Love (3:18)
07. I Got A Right To Sing The Blues (3:40)
08. Baby Plays Around (3:29)
09. The Very Thought Of You (4:55)
10. What I Was Warned About (2:52)
11. Baby, Don’t You Quit Now (3:01)
12. No Love, No Nothing (3:45)
13. Not Exactly Paris (3:16)
14. Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home (2:50)
15. I Keep Going Back To Joe’s (3:24)
16. We’ll Be Together Again (3:44)

This album by Claire Martin on Linn Records differs quite markedly from the
previous releases in my collection from the same artist. Where Too Darn Hot can
easily be graded as gala jazz, this latest release is far more low-key and
subdued.

And of course the crew has a lot to do with this - When Lights Are Lowis a
duoperformance with (the late) Richard Rodney Bennett at the piano at walking
speed, and additional vocals. As the album name indicates, this is romantic
music for real adults. In addition, it provides an exquisite atmosphere of the
20th century, where open Morgan, tartan scarf and driving gloves are popping up
in my mind. The only catch is that I really doubt that there was any Morgans in
the 20s ...

Claire Martin and Richard Rodney Bennett have worked together a few times
before. And rightly so, because in addition to the fact that Bennets piano
playing matches Claire Martins song, he has also a voice that both complements
and provides good contrast to Claire, in this repertoire consisting mainly of
old standards.

Linn Records has roughly sorted this release under the Jazz, but is it really
jazz? Well to put it that way: it is some time since I checked the limit marks
on the right side of this plot. And perhaps more important - I couldn` t care
less ... 

Linn Records is a record label that publishes fortunately most of the releases
on Hybrid / multi-channel SA-CD, and When Lights Are Low is no exception. The
sound on this album is very good, both on the CD layer and multi-channel SA-CD.
Surround channels are used here for ambience, which is practically the only
conceivable way in this type of recording. And since it also is a sonically
pretty dry recording, there is not much contribution from the surround channels.
In addition to the sound keeping very high quality, Linn Records have given this
disc a sound that suits the musical material very well, and helps to give it
time and geography signature I described further up.

All in all, a record that can be recommended, not least because of the very good
sound. I may still warn that it probably is a minimum age for the audience here.
They normally buy Techno - or free-jazz for that matter - have probably at least
as great benefit to look elsewhere. And if you are in doubt, you can hear
samples here .

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