Claire Martin The Subscription Rooms, Stroud. Friday, September 10.

CHANCES are Claire Martin's voice is just about the sexiest thing you will ever hear.

Impossibly soulful and smoother than honey drizzled on maiden's thighs, just hearing her introduce her little three-piece band is enough to send quivers of excitement through the room.

It is a voice guaranteed to shoot straight for the heart without bothering with all that business with eardrums.

In the more melancholy numbers, like 'Killing Time' and a superb version of Buddy Holly's 'Raining in my Heart', it makes me wish I had a girlfriend, just so I could break up with her and sit in the corner nursing a solitary whisky like a world-weary film noir anti-hero.

It's the sort of voice that makes you want to ring up all your past loves and apologise for all the bad things you have done over the years.

Which may take some time, in my case.

It's not all glorious jazz-induced depression though - the set has its fair share of upbeat moments, including a cracking version of Cheek to Cheek that would surely have Fred and Ginger prancing in the aisles within moments.

One enthusiastic critic may have dubbed Claire Martin the 'Madonna of jazz' - presumably referring to the pop singer and not the mother of Christ - and while this may be a slight exaggeration she certainly has justified my love. And she's fitter too.

A performance that will undoubtedly rank as one of the finest at this year's Fringe.

Hopefully, she will be back next year. But if you catch a chance to see Claire Martin in the meantime, do not miss it.