About Martin Speake

Martin studied classical saxophone at Trinity College of Music from 1977-81. At that time there were no jazz courses in London, but he met some future aspiring jazz musicians at the college, including pianist Simon Purcell, saxophonist Mark Lockheart and the members of saxophone quartet Itchy Fingers who were studying at the Royal Academy of Music nearby. He toured Europe, South America, Africa and the USA with Itchy Fingers appearing at major jazz festivals and playing on their first two CDs Quark (Virgin Records) and Teranga (Venture). In 1986 they won the Schlitz Young Jazz Musicians of the Year Award, which was televised by the BBC.

In 1988, he left the group to develop his own projects, which have been many and diverse, and establish himself as a composer and improviser. Martin is as comfortable playing personal interpretations of the music of Charlie Parker with his quartet, free improvising with drummer Mark Sanders, playing standard ballads in duet with Ethan Iverson and Indian music with Dharambir Singh and Sarvar Sabri.

Martin has also performed with Paul Motian, Sam Rivers, Bobo Stenson, Anders Mogensen, Liam Noble,  Anders Christensen, Loose Tubes, Stan Tracey, Bhavani Shankar, Billy Jenkins, Terry Seabrook, Spike Wells, Jim Rattigan, Django Bates Delightful Precipice, Calum Gourlay Big Band, Bob Wilber, Conrad Herwig, Don Weller, Ronan Guilfoyle, Alison Bentley, The Style Council, Ann Pigalle, Kadam, saxophonist John Williams, Airto Moreira and Flora Purim, Jim Mullen, Dave Cliff, Julian Arguelles, Ephie Resnick and the Royal Shakespeare Company among others.

He was lead alto saxophonist in the London Jazz Orchestra conducted by Scott Stroman for two decades.