Joe Martin

Joe Martin is one of the most sought-after bassists on the New York City jazz scene, known for a warm sound, harmonic flexibility, and lyrical solos. Born in Kansas City and raised in a musical family in Iowa, he studied at DePaul University and earned his bachelor's degree from William Paterson College, where his teachers included Rufus Reid, Todd Coolman, and Harold Mabern, before completing a master's in jazz arranging and composition at Queens College. After moving to New York in the mid-1990s he became a first-call sideman, working in bands led by Mark Turner, Chris Potter, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Gilad Hekselman, Anat Cohen, and Edward Simon. As a leader he debuted with Passage (2001) and went on to record Not by Chance (2009) and Étoilée (2019), the last featuring longtime collaborators Mark Turner, Kevin Hays, and Nasheet Waits.