His sparkling bebop lines and musicianship make him equally at home on the stage or in the studio, and he maintains a busy schedule as a recording artist, sideman and section player, while traveling frequently for guest appearances.
Martin has already released eight albums as either leader or co-leader, showcasing his improvisation alongside jazz artists such as the late Carl Fontana, Pete Christlieb, Bobby Shew, and Eric Marienthal.
He has also collaborated as a sideman with jazz greats such as Stanley Turrentine and Horace Silver.
He has a long association with Vic Lewis, who was instrumental in getting Martin and the Metropole Orchestra together for a recording on Mons Records.
‘Canary’ collection at Endangered Planet
Artist Cheryl Lommatsch’s new collection, “Canary in a Gold Mind,” a 16-piece display of paintings and sculptures which depict the plights of birds, will be on display Saturday through Aug. 25 at Endangered Planet Gallery, 384 Forest Ave.
A reception for the artist will also be from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday at the gallery.
Entertainment will be provided by folk rocker Tiana Star, whose songs have been featured on XM and local radio.
The sculptural assemblages feature found, forged and stressed metals, along with salvaged remnants of wood, shell and various fibers, and demonstrate dynamic movement and organic forms which take on a sense of animism — each piece appearing to have an active spirit.
Gallery owner Charles Michael Murray said he twisted the familiar phrase, “canary in a coal mine,” to create a title that would make viewers more mindful of “listening to their own ‘mental canaries’ and awakening to the reality that thirst for monetary wealth can be a source of conflict, environmental destruction, war and potentially our demise.”
Although many of the works are stylized and whimsical, they are intended to evoke a sense of the wildlife struggling in their natural habitat.
