Peter Martin (jazz pianist)

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Peter Martin
Peter Martin pianist.jpg
Martin playing at the 30th Detroit Jazz Festival
Photo: Brian Callahan
Background information
Born (1970-08-17) August 17, 1970 (age 54)
St. Louis, Missouri
United States
Genres Jazz
Occupation(s)Musician, composer, educator, entrepreneur
InstrumentPiano
LabelsMax Jazz, Peter Martin Music, Open Studio
Website Peter Martin music.com

Peter Martin (born on August 17, 1970) [1] is an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger and educator who is best known for his work with Roy Hargrove, Christian McBride, Dianne Reeves, Wynton Marsalis, and Joshua Redman. [2]

Contents

Life and career

Martin attended the Juilliard School of Music. [2] In 1993, Martin won second place for the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition. [3]

Producer Carl Griffin brought Martin together with saxophonist Ron Blake, bassist Rodney Whitaker, and drummer Gregory Hutchinson to form the band 4-Sight, which released one eponymous album for N2K Encoded Music in 1998. [4]

Martin is musical director and pianist for Dianne Reeves and arranged and played music for her Grammy Award-winning soundtrack to the motion picture Good Night, and Good Luck . [1] He also appeared in the film. [5]

In September 2008, he was appointed lecturer in jazz studies at the School of Music at Jackson State University. [6] He has also been on the music faculty at Tulane University, the University of New Orleans and New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. [7]

Martin has been a member of Chris Botti's touring band and since 2009, tours extensively with Christian McBride as part of his quintet Inside Straight . [6] He has recorded with Victor Goines, Johnny Griffin, Wynton Marsalis, Nicholas Payton, Joshua Redman, Dianne Reeves and Rodney Whitaker. [7] Other artists with whom he has performed include Terence Blanchard, Betty Carter, [8] Ellis Marsalis, [1] David Sanborn [8] and Stanley Turrentine. [6] In January 2011, Martin played at the White House as part of the State Dinner then president Barack Obama held welcoming the president of China.

After launching an educational video podcast, 2-Minute Jazz, Martin launched a website, Open Studio, in 2011 that is a members-only jazz lesson site with video lessons and online master classes containing premium concepts and content. Students from over 120 countries have joined and are continuing to learn from Martin, Dianne Reeves, Christian McBride, Greg Hutchinson, Romero Lubambo and other artists.

In October 2015, Martin released an album, What Lies Ahead, on Open Studio Records, featuring his trio of Reuben Rogers, bass and Gregory Hutchinson, drums and special guests Vocalists Erin Bode, and Brian Owens produced by Dan Martin. It was recorded in his home town of St. Louis. [8]

In February 2018, Martin and co-host Adam Manness launched a new podcast called You'll Hear It , which frequently ranks among the top 10 most popular music commentary podcasts on both Apple Music and Spotify; peaking at #5 for the US and UK, #1 for Poland and Israel, #3 in Norway and Italy, and #4 in Japan. [9] Episodes revolve around reviewing and analysing albums, breaking down practice routines and jam sessions.

In September 2023 [10] , Martin, along with Sarah Hanahan, Gregory Hutchinson and Reuben Rogers recorded the album Generation S at Open Studio HQ in St. Louis, Missouri in one continuous take over the span of just one hour. [11]

Discography [12]

As leader

As sideman

Christian McBride & Inside Straight

  • People Music (Mack Ave., 2013)
  • Live at the Village Vanguard (Mack Ave., 2021)

Dianne Reeves

  • A Little Moonlight (Blue Note, 2003)
  • Christmas Time is Here (Blue Note, 2004)
  • Good Night, And Good Luck (Concord, 2005)
  • Beautiful Life (Blue Note, 2013)

Johnny Griffin

  • Chicago, New York, Paris (Verve, 1994)

Joshua Redman

  • Spirit of the Moment (Warner Bros., 1995)
  • Freedom in the Groove (Warner Bros., 1996)

New Orleans Collective

  • New Orleans Collective (Evidence, 1995)

Victor Goines

  • Genesis (Rosemary Joseph, 1992)
  • Love Dance (Criss Cross, 2007)

Wynton Marsalis

  • All Rise (Sony Classical, 2002)

4-Sight

  • 4-Sight (N2K, 1998)

References

  1. 1 2 3 "More Than Luck: A Good Night For Peter Martin". Sibelius. February 23, 2006. Retrieved January 4, 2009.
  2. 1 2 Martin, Peter (August 5, 2025). "PeterMartinMusic". Peter Martin Music. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Competition – Past Winners and Judges". Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
  4. ↑ "4-Sight: 4-Sight". Jazz Times. October 1, 1998. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  5. ↑ Good Night, and Good Luck. at IMDb   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  6. 1 2 3 "Faculty Profiles, Bienen School of Music". Northwestern University. Archived from the original on February 28, 2009. Retrieved January 4, 2009.
  7. 1 2 "Peter Martin – bio". petermartinmusic.com. Archived from the original on May 9, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 Moffitt, Kelly (October 9, 2015). "Take heed, Stevie Wonder: Local piano legend Peter Martin is coming for you next". St. Louis Public Radio . Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  9. ↑ Martin, Peter. "About You'll Hear It". You'll Hear It. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  10. ↑ Martin, Peter. "Peter Martin & Generation S". Peter Martin Music. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  11. ↑ Martin, Peter. "Who is Generation S?". YouTube, Open Studio. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  12. ↑ Martin, Peter. "PeterMartinMusic". Peter Martin Music. Retrieved August 5, 2025.


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