Rebecca Martin

Rebecca Martin has been involved in the music industry in one way or another since she was a child. At eight years old, she began to perform some. Just about the time she hit her teens, she started recording at a local studio. In college, she studied jazz vocal performance. She also took voice lessons for years. Her first paying gig was in New York City, at a Japanese restaurant. The payment for her entertainment was free sushi. Even her day jobs kept her close to the music business. For a while she worked at the MTV Networks. She also served as transportation and security coordinator for the wedding of the well-known singer Mariah Carey and Tommy Mottola.

Around 1992, Martin became a member of a group called Once Blue, who was signed by EMI Records. Some of the other members were sax player Mark Turner, drummer Jeff Ballard, bassist Ben Street, keyboardist Scott Kinsey, and guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel. The group released a couple of albums before calling it quits in February of 1997; maybe the split was brought on by the death of EMI. Instead of joining another band, Martin decided to try a solo career. One of the things she soon put together was something she named the Independence Project, an undertaking geared toward helping other developing independent artists.

As a solo singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Martin recorded her debut album on November 8, 1998. Thoroughfare is an impressive ten-track offering that was amazingly completed in one single day. She had some gifted help on the recording, including her husband, bassist Larry Grenadier, guitarist Steve Cardenas, and producer and engineer Joe Ferla. Grenadier and Cardenas are also members of her band, along with drummer Jorge Rossy and tenor sax player Bill McHenry. A few of the tunes on this first solo offering are "Goodbye My Love," "The Red Wall," "Arthur," and "Empty Hands." Martin's music is an interesting mix of rock, flavored with folk and jazz style.