Martin Speake | |
|---|---|
 Speake | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Martin Speake |
| Born | 1958 |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | |
| Instrument(s) | Alto saxophone |
| Website | www |
Martin Speake (born 1958) is a British saxophonist. He teaches at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in Greenwich, at the Royal Academy of Music and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Speake has recorded eighteen albums as leader, including Change Of Heart with Paul Motian, Bobo Stenson and Mick Hutton.
Speake studied classical saxophone at Trinity College of Music. He joined sax outfit Itchy Fingers and toured Europe, South America, Africa and the USA. In 1986, the band won the Schlitz Young Jazz Musicians of the Year Award, which also aired on the BBC.
In 2018, Speake appeared at London Jazz Festival at Cadogan Hall with Charukesi, his new project formed to reflect his interest in rhythmic music from around the world drawing from Arabic, Indian and Turkish influences. [1]
Also in 2018, he released Intention on Ubuntu Music, [2] in quartet with Ethan Iverson. [3] The Jazz Mann reviewed the album in April 2018, rating it 3.5 out of 5. [4]
Speake performed a concert at PizzaExpress Jazz Club, London which was subsequently broadcast on BBC Radio 3. [5]
Amongst teaching positions that he holds, Speake is a visiting educator at London's Royal Academy of Music, [6] and Guildhall School of Music and Drama. [7]
In 2024, Speake was the subject of controversy after an email he sent to a student criticizing Trinity’s diversity, equity, and inclusion agenda was forwarded, leading to a student boycott of his classes and circulation of a student petition calling for his dismissal. [8] Speake later took sick leave, and the college distanced itself from the views expressed by him in the email, [9] which was said to undermine the African American roots of jazz.
Speake LTCL is also a practicing nutritional therapist, [10] and holds a BSc in Nutritional Medicine. He runs a practice in Abbey Wood.[ citation needed ]
The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a music and drama school located in the City of London, England. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz along with drama and production arts. The school has students from over seventy countries. It was ranked first in both the Guardian’s 2022 League Table for Music and the Complete University Guide's 2023 Arts, Drama and Music league table. It is also ranked the sixth university in the world for performing arts in the 2022 QS World University Rankings.
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