LAST night St David's Hall was host to a celebration of the Great American Songbook, as part of the Welsh Proms Series. 

This 'Jazz Prom' featured the much loved  Capital City Jazz Orchestra and special guest Claire Martin OBE. 

Claire was named 'Best Vocalist' in both 2009 and 2010 at the British Jazz Awards, and has been singing professionally since she was 19. She lived up to the expectation of her audience, as her voice was easy to listen to and she had a good stage presence. She sang a well judged selection of songs, particularly those made famous by Ella Fitzgerald. She opened her set with 'Fever' which set the standard for the rest of the evening, and at the end she was called to perform an encore of 'I've got the world on a string'. Of course, she wasn't afraid to improvise on well known tunes, and she performed occasional variations on melody and rhythms. 

To open each half, the Capital City Jazz Orchestra performed a selection of favourites such as 'Chelsea Bridge' and 'Stella by Starlight', but the best instrumental piece of the night was undoubtedly a great arrangement of 'Sing Sing Sing', which featured many improvised solos.

The musicians did an excellent job of showing off  the full range of their instruments with ease. Tommy Harris (saxaphone) was obviously a favourite of the audience, as he received great applause after each of his  solos. Ceri Rees (Musical Director) is not only a skilled musician, but an efficient presenter. He introduced the musicians and the songs with his usual wit and enthusiasm.

The Jazz Prom had a more intimate and light hearted atmosphere than some of the more classical concerts earlier on in the week. 

The next Concert as part of the Welsh Proms series will be 'The Last Night of the Proms' conducted by Owain Arwel Hughes, on Saturday.  

Elizabeth Morgan