The Church With One Bell

A soulful Scotsman who spent the early '70s working alongside British folkies such as Nick Drake and Richard Thompson, John Martyn has built a body of work that stands equal to those of his more celebrated peers. Evolving from a folksinger into a jazz-folk troubadour and consummate guitar craftsman, Martyn possesses one of the more beautiful singing voices of this half century. He's selected some fascinating songs here to cover in his inimitable style. Whether singing a Portishead tune, a Billie Holiday classic, or a blues standard, he makes each song his own. Slurring and bruising the words of Dead Can Dance, Ben Harper, Elmore James, and Randy Newman, Martyn proves to be an adept interpreter on his best album since 1978's classic One World. --Mitch Myers