Joe Martin
Fields of Study:
Bass
Degrees and Studies:
BMus, William Paterson University
MMus, Queens College
Biographical Information:
Joe Martin is one of the most in demand jazz bassists of his generation. Since moving
to New York City in 1994, his supportive, lyrical and harmonically inquisitive playing has
led to an expansive body of work with many of today’s most influential musicians
including Mark Turner, Gilad Hekselman, Chris Potter, and Kurt Rosenwinkel. He has
worked with many other great musicians including Andy Bey, Anat Cohen, Donald
Fagen, Al Foster, John Ellis, Joel Frahm, Larry Goldings, Billy Hart, Kevin Hays, Dave
Kikoski, Michael Leonhart, Brad Mehldau, Mingus Big Band, Jane Monheit, Rudy
Royston, Jerome Sabbagh, Edward Simon, and numerous others. He appears on
dozens of records as a sideman, including Turner’s Lathe Of Heaven, Return From The
Stars, Live At The Village Vanguard, Potter’s grammy nominated The Dreamer Is The
Dream, Rosenwinkel’s The Remedy, Intuit, Hekselman’s This Just In, Homes, SplitLife,
and Hearts Wide Open. He is also a bandleader and performs regularly with his quartet
at NYC clubs including the Village Vanguard, Jazz Gallery, and Smalls.
As a composer and bandleader he has released three albums. His most recent album Étoilée (w/Mark Turner, Kevin Hays, Nasheet Waits) showcases his compositions and has received much critical praise: “The whole Quartet is remarkedly simpatico...an ideal blend of stylistic variety and artistic consistency” 4 stars-Downbeat Magazine. His other recordings as a leader are Not By Chance (2009) with Chris Potter, Brad Mehldau, Marcus Gilmore, and Passage (2002) with Turner, Hays, and Jorge Rossy.
Born in Kansas City, Martin grew up in a musical family in Pella, Iowa where he started on cello at age 8, played trumpet in grade school, and by age 15 had discovered the electric bass which led to a deep dive into jazz and eventually the double bass. He studied at DePaul University in Chicago with Larry Gray before moving to the NYC area, earning his bachelor's degree from William Paterson College where his teachers included Rufus Reid, Todd Coolman, and Harold Mabern. Upon moving to NYC he continued his studies with Ron Carter and Dennis James. He holds a master's degree in jazz arranging and composition from Queens College.
Email:
Joseph.Martin22@qmail.cuny.edu