CLAIRE MARTIN - Take my Heart (1999) Linn

A major departure from Claire Martin's previous efforts, Take My Heart marked the first time she recorded an album that had very little to do with jazz. The British singer had never been a jazz snob; she always had a healthy appreciation of rock, pop and R&B. But jazz was her foundation -- if she interpreted a Tom Waits or Stevie Wonder song, she did so from a jazz perspective. Take My Heart, however, is essentially a pop album with R&B, folk, rock and jazz references -- the only thing on the CD that can honestly be called jazz is a torchy interpretation of the Cahn/Van Heusen classic "Only the Lonely." A gently introspective tone defines this album, and her remakes of Elvis Costello's "Baby Plays Around," the Beatles' "Help" (which she changes from uptempo pop-rock to relaxed pop-folk) and Paul Simon's "Jonah" sound quite personal. Martin co-wrote a few of the songs, including the Joni Mitchell-ish "Pleading Guilty" and "Inner City Girl," a pop/R&B gem that encourages a poor woman to be strong and persevere despite the challenges she faces. Thankfully, Martin the pop singer proved to be every bit as compelling as Martin the jazz singer.  by Alex Henderson  
Tracklist
1 River Man 4:34
Nick Drake
2 Take My Heart 3:40
Gordon Mills
3 Only the Lonely 2:57
Sammy Cahn / James Van Heusen
4 Queen Bee 5:25
Rupert Holmes
5 Brilliant Trees 5:26
David Sylvian
6 Jonah 3:44
Paul Simon
7 Help! 4:29
John Lennon / Paul McCartney
8 Inner City Girl 4:36
G. Williams
9 Pleading Guilty 4:20
Claire Martin
10 I Scare Myself 4:37
Dan Hicks
11 Baby Plays Around 3:06
Elvis Costello
Credits
Acoustic Guitar – Noel Gallagher (tracks: 7)
Arranged By – Paul Stacey
Autoharp – Mark Smith (tracks: 1)
Backing Vocals – Paul Stacey (tracks: 7, 8)
Backing Vocals [Spanish Banter] – Luis Jardim (tracks: 2)
Bass – Arnie Somogyi (tracks: 3)
Bass Guitar – Paul Stacey (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 7 to 10)
Bassoon – Jason Rebello (tracks: 3, 5)
Cello – Ben Davis (tracks: 5, 7, 11), Sarah Barker (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 6), Stanley Adler (tracks: 4, 6)
Clarinet – Mornington Lockett (tracks: 3, 5, 6)
Double Bass – Arnie Somogyi (tracks: 5, 6)
Double Bass [Arco] – Sam Burgess (tracks: 6, 11)
Drums – Clark Tracey (tracks: 3), Jeremy Stacey (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 6 to 10)
Dulcimer [Appalachian] – Mark Smith (tracks: 5)
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Gareth Williams (tracks: 8)
Guitar – Paul Stacey (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 6, 8 to 11)
Guitar [Ebow] – Paul Stacey (tracks: 5, 6, 9, 11)
Harmonica – Robin Miller (tracks: 1)
Keyboards – Jason Rebello (tracks: 4), Paul Stacey (tracks: 1, 2, 5)
Lead Vocals – Claire Martin (tracks: 1 to 11)
Percussion – Luis Jardim (tracks: 2, 4, 6 to 8, 10)
Percussion [Clay Pot] – Sri Iain Ballamy (tracks: 2)
Piano – Gareth Williams (tracks: 3)
Saxophone – Mornington Lockett (tracks: 8)
Stylophone – Mark Smith (tracks: 7)
Trombone – Nichol Thomson (tracks: 1 to 4, 6)
Trumpet – Alistair 'Titch' Walker (tracks: 1 to 4, 6), Duncan Mackay (tracks: 1 to 4, 6)
Vibraphone – Anthony Kerr (tracks: 3, 5, 6)
Viola – Charlotte Glasson (tracks: 1, 3 to 6), John Murphy (tracks: 1, 3 to 6)
Violin – Anna Giddey (tracks: 1 to 3, 5, 6), Darragh Morgan (tracks: 1 to 3, 5, 6)

CLAIRE MARTIN - Take my Heart

(1999) Linn Records ‎/ CBR320k / scans 

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