WHAT is it that the great jazz vocalists have in common? Think of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Cassandra Wilson. The fact they all sound so incredibly unique makes them stand out above the rest.

There is a common style of jazz singing in Britain that takes more influence from musical theatre than from jazz.

Rather than being a jazz singer, Claire Martin falls into the category of a strong vocalist who performs songs from the jazz repertoire.

In fact, to see this as a jazz performance at all, there was one vital ingredient missing: improvisation.

Stop expecting to hear jazz in this concert, and it could be enjoyed and appreciated more from a different perspective.

Four cellos may not have the textural range of a traditional string quartet but the Montpellier Quartet still produced a rich sound, enhanced by some excellent arrangements.

The instruments were fully utilised to create variety within the music whether they were bowed, plucked, tapped or twanged.

Martin had chosen an eclectic repertoire that included jazz standards such as Night And Day and Let’s Fall In Love in a vocal and double bass arrangement. However, it was songs such as David Bowie’s The Man Who Sold The World and Kate Bush’s The Man With the Child In His Eyes that transferred to this ensemble most effectively.

Claire Martin cannot be faulted on her intonation or her confidence on stage. Her talent as a broadcaster came across as she talked to the audience. As this was your reviewer’s first time seeing her perform live, the hope was to hear a unique British jazz voice, and in this respect, it was a little disappointing.

- John Marley