Claire Martin & Karen Sharp with Dave Cottle Trio

Claire Martin and Karen Sharp are playing together at The Observatory on Wednesday 9 December, backed by the Dave Cottle Trio. It's billed as an early Christmas present show, and it's part of the Swansea Jazz Club's programme.

Claire Martin, OBE, is one of Britain's most celebrated jazz vocalists, with eight British Jazz Awards for Best Vocalist across a career of nearly 40 years. She turned professional at 19 and was singing at Ronnie Scott's two years later. In 1990 she signed to Glasgow's Linn Records, and since then has released 18 CDs. Along the way she's recorded with Martin Taylor, John Martyn, Stephane Grappelli, and Kenny Barron. Until his death in 2012, she also worked with Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, with whom she performed as a cabaret duo at venues like New York's Algonquin Hotel. Her style blends jazz, blues and traditional English music, and her 2024 album Almost in Your Arms toured the UK after launching at Ronnie Scott's.

Beyond the recording studio, Martin has spent a good deal of time in the public eye. She co-presented BBC Radio 3's Jazz Line Up from 2000 to 2017, and has appeared as a soloist with the Halle, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the BBC Big Band. In 2011 she was awarded an OBE for Services to Jazz. The night is billed as an early Christmas present show, so it's a good one to have in the diary before the December rush properly kicks in.

The gig is at The Observatory, The Slipway, Maritime Quarter, Swansea, SA1 1YB, running from 8:00 PM to 10:30 PM on Wednesday 9 December. Tickets are £15.