Peter Martin

Biography

Peter Martin is an acclaimed American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and educator born on August 17, 1970, in St. Louis, Missouri.[2][8] He developed his passion for jazz during his formative years in University City, where he attended Brittany Woods Middle School and later U. City High School, which had a robust jazz program in the mid-1980s.[4] His exceptional musical talent earned him the Presidential Scholar in the Arts Award from President Ronald Reagan upon high school graduation, leading to a scholarship at the Juilliard School of Music in New York, where he honed his craft before relocating to New Orleans in 1990 to pursue a solo career.[1][4]

Throughout his professional career, Martin has established himself as a versatile performer and collaborator, touring extensively across six continents and performing at prestigious venues including the White House, where he played for President Barack Obama during a 2011 state dinner welcoming the President of China.[2][4] He gained significant recognition for his work as musical director and pianist for Grammy Award-winning artist Dianne Reeves, arranging and performing on her album A Little Moonlight (2003) and the soundtrack to George Clooney's film Good Night, and Good Luck (2005).[1][2] Beyond his performance career, Martin has held faculty positions at multiple universities including Northwestern University, Tulane University, the University of New Orleans, Jackson State University, and the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, conducting workshops and master classes at institutions worldwide.[1][2]

Martin's most transformative contribution to music education came through his pioneering work in online jazz instruction. Beginning in 2012 while teaching at Northwestern University, he created the popular YouTube series "2-Minute Jazz," which featured innovative split-screen videos demonstrating both hand technique and musical notation.[4] This led to the founding of Open Studio in 2015, a revolutionary jazz educational platform that has attracted students from over 140 countries and features instruction from Martin alongside other renowned artists including Christian McBride, Fred Hersch, and Romero Lubambo.[1][2] His groundbreaking work in digital music education earned recognition from The New York Times, and he co-hosts the award-winning podcast "You'll Hear It" with Adam Maness, further establishing his influence in contemporary jazz discourse.[1]

Fun Facts

• Martin grew up in University City alongside jazz legend Jeremy Davenport, and both developed their musical talents in the same school jazz programs during the mid-1980s, with both their fathers performing in the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.[4]
• He won second place in the prestigious 1993 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition, establishing him as a rising talent early in his professional career.[2][8]
• Martin appeared in George Clooney's 2005 film Good Night, and Good Luck as a pianist, and also arranged and performed on the Grammy-winning soundtrack.[1][2]
• He pioneered online jazz education using innovative split-screen video technology, initially recording lessons with a flip camera positioned on the edge of his piano while teaching at Northwestern University in 2012.[4]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Hi Martin - Jazz band teacher at U. City High School who influenced Martin's early jazz development (Jazz band instruction) [mid-1980s]
• John Brophy - Jazz band teacher at U. City High School who contributed to Martin's musical foundation (Jazz band instruction) [mid-1980s]
• Juilliard School of Music faculty - Formal training and development as a jazz pianist (Comprehensive jazz piano education) [late 1980s-1990]

Key Collaborators

• Dianne Reeves - Musical director, pianist, and arranger; long-term professional partnership (A Little Moonlight (2003), Christmas Time is Here (2004), Good Night, and Good Luck (2005), Beautiful Life (2013)) [2003-2013+]
• Christian McBride - Frequent collaborator and member of Inside Straight quintet (People Music (2013), Live at the Village Vanguard (2021)) [2009-present]
• Wynton Marsalis - Touring and recording collaborator (Various performances and recordings) [1990s-2000s+]
• Joshua Redman - Touring and recording collaborator (Various performances and recordings) [1990s-2000s+]
• Gregory Hutchinson - Drummer in Martin's trio and Open Studio instructor (What Lies Ahead (2015), various performances) [1990s-present]
• Reuben Rogers - Bassist in Martin's trio (What Lies Ahead (2015)) [2010s+]
• Chris Botti - Member of touring band (Touring performances) [2000s]
• Betty Carter - Touring and recording collaborator (Various performances) [1990s-2000s]
• Adam Maness - Co-host of award-winning podcast (You'll Hear It podcast) [2010s-present]

Artists Influenced

• Open Studio students - Over 7,000 jazz musicians have learned from Martin through Open Studio platform (Open Studio video lessons and online master classes) [2015-present]
• Online jazz education community - Pioneer in digital jazz instruction, influencing how jazz is taught globally (2-Minute Jazz YouTube series, Open Studio platform) [2012-present]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Path Adjacent (Peter Martin & Generation S)
2. Emotion in Motion (What Lies Ahead)
3. Generation S (Peter Martin & Generation S)
4. That's What's Up (Peter Martin & Generation S)
5. Groove Echo Chamber (Peter Martin & Generation S)
6. Gratitude in Motion (Peter Martin & Generation S)
7. Finding Our Infinity (Peter Martin & Generation S)
8. In a Mellow Tone (What Lies Ahead)
9. Abstract Courage (Peter Martin & Generation S)
10. Cuba New Orleans (Live) (Rio Meets New Orleans: Live from Tokyo)

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia