Claire Martin – He Never Mentioned Love (2007) MCH SACD ISO + FLAC 24bit/96kHz

Claire Martin returns with this stylish tribute to the late and legendary American songstress Shirley Horn. “He Never Mentioned Love” sees the UK’s finest jazz singer investigate songs memorably performed by her greatest influence.

American singer and pianist Shirley Horn was one of Claire Martin’s greatest influences. In He Never Mentioned Love, Claire’s first album since Shirley died at the end of 2005, she pays homage with a set of songs from Shirley’s repertoire.
To demonstrate what’s so great about The Heartache Queen, Claire sings her praises through her own piece – ‘’Slowly But Shirley’’. The ‘silent spaces’ she admired in Shirley’s performances have been assimilated into Claire’s singing style, particularly in her version of ‘’The Sun Died’’, helped along by Gerard Presencer’s aching trumpet solo. In the quietest moments here and in the title track, every smile and every frown is audible in Claire’s luscious voice.
Though this selection of songs is mainly slow – in tribute to Horn, who was renowned for performing at drop-dead tempos – Claire’s wonderful sense of dynamics and story-telling still shine through. She’s threatening and needy in ’’If You Go’’, passionate in ‘’Forget Me’’ and pragmatic in ‘’Trav’llin’ Light”.
Once again, Claire draws together an enviable collection of top UK jazz musicians, which means exciting solos and fresh arrangements. A mixture of trio, bass-voice duo and voice-guitar duo keeps things intriguing, and this is certainly no tribute band. The producer is bandleader Laurence Cottle, who plays a stunning solo on ‘’You’re Nearer’’, his electric bass speaking through the gruffest low notes and singing through the high ones. Gerard Presencer’s broken altissimo notes have a Kenny Wheeler sound to them, and Nigel Hitchcock’s sax storms through ‘’Slowly But Shirley’’. The Gareth Williams–Cottle-Clark Tracey trio get things swinging whenever they can, especially in ‘’All Night Long’’ where everyone lets rip against a jagged time signature. Claire’s long-time cohort on the guitar, Jim Mullen, also features. He gets his teeth into the feisty ‘’LA Breakdown’’, as Claire’s fractured phrases and belting finale turn this hard-driving bluesy waltz into the ultimate drama.
He Never Mentioned Love may be a chance for Claire Martin to remember Shirley Horn, but the sheer individuality that she brings to these songs shows that this is more than a tribute album. Shirley’s passed the flame to Claire, who’s using it to light fireworks. Go girl!

Tracklist:

01. He Never Mentioned Love
02. Forget Me
03. Everything Must Change
04. Travelling Light
05. The Music That Makes Me Dance
06. All Night Long
07. If You Go
08. A Song For You
09. Slowly But Shirley
10. You’re Nearer
11. LA Breakdown
12. Slow Time
13. The Sun Died

Produced by Laurence Cottle. Engineered & Mixed by Calum Malcolm.
Recorded on December 2-4, 2-6 at Jeremy Stacey Studios, London, UK.

Personnel
Claire Martin – vocals
Gareth Williams – piano
Laurence Cottle – bass
Clark Tracey – drums
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Nigel Hitchcock – saxophone
Gerard Presencer – flugelhorn
Jim Mullen – guitar
Steve Watts – double bass
Massimo Marraccini – percussion

SACD ISO

ClaireMartinHeNeverMenti0nedL0ve2007SACDIS0.part1.rar
ClaireMartinHeNeverMenti0nedL0ve2007SACDIS0.part2.rar
ClaireMartinHeNeverMenti0nedL0ve2007SACDIS0.part3.rar
ClaireMartinHeNeverMenti0nedL0ve2007SACDIS0.part4.rar

FLAC 24bit/96kHz

ClaireMartinHeNeverMenti0nedL0ve2007FLACStere02448.rar