Marty Jaffe

Marty Jaffe is one of New York City's most in-demand jazz bassists, valued for a versatility that spans jazz, pop, R&B, classical, and samba. He has performed with Wynton Marsalis, Marcus Roberts, Sullivan Fortner, Karrin Allyson, Catherine Russell, and Helen Sung, among many others. Raised in Conway, Massachusetts, he moved to New York in 2012 to study at Columbia and Juilliard, where his teachers included Ron Carter, Ray Drummond, Frank Kimbrough, and Kenny Washington. He was named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts in 2012 and won the International Society of Bassists' jazz competition in 2013. As a bandleader he co-founded the trio Tone Forest in 2018 with pianist Miro Sprague and guitarist Jason Ennis, releasing the group's debut album in 2024 and presenting original music at venues including the Kennedy Center and Jazz at Lincoln Center.