	Newsletter 3 September 2009		Contact details Tel. 01342 716975 or email: info_at_acousticsussex_dot_org_dot_uk
			New album released 14 September 2009 Click here to listen to sample tracks on Linn Records website
Thursday 3 September Claire Martin at Chequer Mead East Grinstead www.chequermead.org.uk In association with the Cuisine Studio Jazz Cafe £13 (£ 11 conc) 8pm Box Office 01342 302000 Tickets are also available at Hobgoblin in Crawley and Bullfrog in East Grinstead Click here for News Release and biography (PDF file) BACK TO TOP		Justly acclaimed as one of the world's greatest jazz singers, Sussex-based Claire Martin is one of the jewels of the UK jazz scene. A peerless singer, with a breathtaking ability to inhabit a lyric and bring songs to life, her Autumn tour coincides with the launch of a brand new album, A Modern Art, which Claire describes as "A brand new take on jazz singing in the 21st century". (Read review below.) Five times winner of the Best British Jazz vocalist awards, Claire was born to sing. Growing up in a house full of music in Wimbledon, South London, she'd learned all of Judy Garland's songs by the time she was 12. But it was hearing Ella Fitzgerald's legendary Song Books that changed her life, inspiring her to go to Stage School and then to study singing in London and New York. Her last CD, 2007's 'He Never Mentioned Love' was hailed as her finest album to date. Recalling the songs and spirit of the late and legendary Shirley Horn, it featured some of the hottest talent in UK jazz and captured the singer in intimate and mature mode. Her new album features two brand new self-penned tracks together with stylishly re-worked and much loved standards by Cy Coleman and Rodgers and Hart, plus sassy originals and modern classics from Esbjorn Svenson, Michael Franks and Donald Fagan. Claire will be performing with her trio of Gareth Williams on piano, Laurence Cottle on bass and Chris Dagly on drums. The show is presented in association with the theatre's excellent Cuisine Studio, which regularly hosts Jazz Café evenings at the venue. Telephone 01342 324860 to reserve a table for a pre-show meal.	Claire Martin Pre-show meals available in Chequer Mead – reservations 01342 324860
Claire Martin - The Things I Miss The Most (Jazzwise review) Claire Martin follows on from her Shirley Horn-inspired album from two years ago with A Modern Art featuring songs by Rodgers and Hart, and Cy Coleman which sees her build ever more strongly on her reputation as a classic jazz singer steeped in the traditions of Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Carmen McRae. Yet Martin also includes recent songs by Donald Fagen, Michael Franks and the late Esbjörn Svensson. She speaks with candour and looks back with a measured eye as she talks to Stuart Nicholson about her career so far and pulls no punches “It’s a bloody hard way to make a living, but I love it,” says vocalist Claire Martin. With jazz an endangered species on television, radio and in the mainstream media, few would disagree with her. “There’s this whole thing about celebrity culture, sad reality shows like the X-Factor and dumbing down,” she says in an exasperated tone you don’t want to argue with. “I had all this going on in my head and all those people that seemed to be at every gig except jazz gigs, and I was just thinking, well I’m sorry. I’ve just got to stand up and be counted.” The result was her very own protest song ‘A Modern Art’ aimed fairly and squarely at celebrity culture and the dumbing down of standards in popular music. It’s also the title track of her latest album, which she firmly believes is her best yet. “As the lyrics say ‘we’re trying to get the music heard’ and yes, we are trying, we just need a few more doors to open and people will go ‘jazz is great, it’s terrific’,” she says. There are few more passionate advocates for jazz than this fortysomething from east London. Since The Waiting Game from 1992, her critically acclaimed debut album, her star has been in steady ascendance, and on her new album Claire Martin does more than stand up and be counted, she emerges as a world class artist. Click here for Jazzwise magazine
Don’t forget that as well as our own shows, the Acoustic Sussex website has a Regional Gig Guide and links to venues and clubs in the South East that offer folk, roots and acoustic music – and our MySpace site contains over 500 links to a variety of other MySpace ‘friends’ sites, including musicians, venues, magazines and lots more.			Regional Gig Guide
*For* *your future diaries...* BACK TO TOP		Future 2009 dates in the Acoustic Sussex programme include: Ø 7 September – Sam Baker (band) + The Haley Sisters Ø 15 September – Sinéad & the Dawnbreakers Ø 21 September – Corinne West + Tinderbox Ø 12 October – Uiscedwr + Luke Sital Singh Ø 9 November – Chris & Kellie While + Joseph Topping Ø 20 November – Dar Williams Ø 23 November – Jez Lowe and the Bad Pennies+ Lucy Ward Ø 11 December – The Unthanks (formerly Rachel Unthank & The Winterset) More information on all up-and-coming artists can be found on our website: www.acousticsussex.org.uk. You can also find us on MySpace (with samples from some of the artists appearing) at: www.myspace.com/acoustic_sussex. If you know anyone who you think may enjoy our events, please forward this email to them.	*UNSUBSCRIBE* If you do not wish to be on this mailing list, please reply to this email, ensuring you include your name in the email and the word 'unsubscribe' in the heading. Thank you.