Alex Martin

Am I listening to the long lost masters of a recently re-discovered blues icon? No, this is a 21 year old picker currently based out of Boston, MA and studying at Berklee. This CD was recorded last December at a friend's home studio in Anchorage, AK while visiting his parents. On all but one track (Alex's self penned "What I Get From You" which is accompanied by a subtle keyboard) what you have is a man, a National guitar and a mic. Alex's husky vocals add an additional degree of authenticity to his already established, exceptional, true to form technique on both slide guitar and picking. The ten well chosen covers to go with his own contribution include "Baby Please Don't Go," "Walking Blues," "You Gotta Move" and "Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground." This CD is not currently available in stores, so visit Alex's My Space page and order it by mail or down load. If you enjoy delta blues you will be glad you did. To make a couple local comparisons to artists you may have heard, Alex's sound and repertoire is similar to that of both Ryan LaPlante and Son Jack Jr. Alex recently played a Thursday evening set in the Cantina at the Fall Sunbanks Festival and was enroute to perform at the Boston Blues Festival. He deserves to be looked at as a mainstage opening act by all our major regional festivals. Alex is talented and is keeping the traditions of the blues alive and kicking – the future of the blues tradition are safe in Alex's gifted hands.
Malcolm Kennedy
Washington Blues Society
October, 2007 - Malcolm Kennedy, Washington Blues Society

The last living direct link to Robert Johnson, David “Honeyboy” Edwards, continues to tour constantly at the age of ninety-four drawing adulation and acclaim along the way. His two shows were sold out on Saturday, January 9, 2010 at Biscuits & Blues where he proudly referred to upcoming tributes. Edwards will be honored with a Special Merit Award by the Recording Academy on January 30th and a formal acknowledgment made during the GRAMMY awards telecast the next evening. On February 25th, he will be presented with the Mississippi Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts, Lifetime Achievement Award in Jackson, MS.

Alex Martin who just graduated from Berklee College of Music and a budding blues talent at the ripe old age of twenty-four opened up each show with a short set of Delta-styled blues covering Bukka White, Mississippi John Hurt tunes and a well-executed version of Fred McDowell’s “You Gotta Move.” Switching between acoustic guitar and a National steel, he proved to be an agile guitarist with an educated sensibility for blues. In the second set he even threw in a Sam Cooke tune, “Bring It On Home To Me,” which revealed a softly supple vocal style.

Edwards spryly took to the stage focused on the mission at hand along with manager Michael Frank who accompanied him on harmonica. He settled slowly into the first tune but found his stride on “Sweet Home Chicago” which elicited a murmur of recognition from the audience. Covering standards “Catfish Blues,” and “You’re The One,” his deliberate chording and unpredictable timing was intensely moving. Martin joined in on guitar to contribute to the proceedings and gave a good background fill. Edwards seemed to get more lively with earnest vocals on “Goin’ Down Slow.” When adjusting his guitar tuning, he tried out Martin’s acoustic but soon gave up—resulting in a moment of disagreement with Frank who laughingly said “we’ve been together thirty-four years and now that he’s ninety-four and I’m sixty we don’t agree on anything.” As a finale to the first show, Edwards insisted on one more tune and launched into a delightful rendering of “West Helena Blues.”

Edwards spent the whole break time talking with fans and signing autographs and this seemed to energize him for the second show. During this show, he was again joined by Martin and David Washington took over on harmonica for a couple of tunes. Frank prompted Edwards several times during this show to share some oral history with the audience and the detail of his memory was awesome. Edwards was definitely in a playful mood as he pulled out a half pint of whiskey motioning to the others on stage to also take a swig.

David “Honeyboy” Edwards still delivers Delta blues with supreme authority in a distinctive style which he had already developed when Alan Lomax recorded him in Clarksdale, MS for the Library of Congress in 1942. How lucky for us to have shared another evening with this elder statesman of the blues who is truly a legend. - Dorothy Hill, Blues Source

Those of you under the impression that all blues singers are hoary old goats or, even worse, resemble John Popper, will be pleasantly surprised to meet Alex Martin. This weedy lad first started singing the schoolboy blues before he was old enough to procure a driver’s licence, and now at the advanced age of 21, Martin is a seasoned vet with a world-weary voice and a heart-breaking guitar.

Martin was born in Anchorage, Alaska, and lived there until he was 14. Then he headed east to school in New Hampshire and Boston, where he ended up attending a little school called Berklee College of Music, maybe you heard of it?

Saturday, Martin will perform at the Tacoma Old Town Blues Festival.

“I have performed music for school projects and recitals since I was 3, but I have been performing blues regularly at bars, fairs and festivals for about two years, which is a lot easier since I turned 21 in December,” explains Martin.

But why is he coming to Tacoma?

How did he discover our well-kept secret blues craze?

“My mother’s parents and my uncle live in Dash Point, and I used to spend summers with them when I was little,” says Martin.

Oh, so he’s practically a native. That explains a lot.

“I really enjoy the Northwest music scene,” he continues. “There is so much good music between local artists and national acts coming through that it is a really neat place to be. Several local music promoters were very kind to me, especially Ted Brown Jr. at the Tacoma Old Town Blues Festival and Jennifer Johnson at Jazzbones. Also, my grandparents and other family will get a chance to hear me perform.”

Oh great, now he’s gonna tell the world about Tacoma. Would someone please shake up some rain clouds? We may have visitors coming. Oh well, it was bound to happen. Blame it on Tacoma Old Town Blues Festival organizers Ted Brown and Mike Mitchell. They’re at it again.
This year’s Old Town Blues festival kicks off with one of the most tempting reasons to get up before noon on a weekend that I’ve heard in a long time — the BluesBerry Pancake Breakfast at the Slavonian Hall. You have to get there by the crack of 9:30 a.m., but in return you get yummy pancakes and a special unplugged performance by the sassy Red Hotz. Smart buggers that they are, Brown and Mitchell left a spot in the lineup open for the pre-pancake nap I know I’m going to be craving. The real party gets started at noon — which is much more musician friendly if you ask me.

Alex Martin opens for Lil’ Dave Thompson July 14 at The Slavonian Hall Main Stage around 8:30 p.m. For more information about Alex Martin visit www.myspace.com/alexmartinblues.
The festival takes place at Old Town Park, The Slavonian Hall, The Spar and The Mountaineers Hall. The band lineup includes: Reloaded, Zero Down Blues, In The House, 7 on 7, Blues Alliance, Little Bill & The Blue Notes, Loose Gravel & The Quarry, Brown & Blues Band, Mark DuFresne, Michal Miller Band and Harmonica Red.

All performances in Old Town Park are free to the public.

For complete schedule and admission costs for the indoor venues, go to www.tacomaoldtownbluesfest.com.

The entire festival is a fundraiser for breast cancer research.
-Angela Jossy - Weekly Volcano- Jul 12, 2007

Those of you under the impression that all blues singers are hoary old goats or, even worse, resemble John Popper, will be pleasantly surprised to meet Alex Martin. This weedy lad first started singing the schoolboy blues before he was old enough to procure a driver’s licence, and now at the advanced age of 21, Martin is a seasoned vet with a world-weary voice and a heart-breaking guitar.

Martin was born in Anchorage, Alaska, and lived there until he was 14. Then he headed east to school in New Hampshire and Boston, where he ended up attending a little school called Berklee College of Music, maybe you heard of it?

Saturday, Martin will perform at the Tacoma Old Town Blues Festival.

“I have performed music for school projects and recitals since I was 3, but I have been performing blues regularly at bars, fairs and festivals for about two years, which is a lot easier since I turned 21 in December,” explains Martin.

But why is he coming to Tacoma?

How did he discover our well-kept secret blues craze?

“My mother’s parents and my uncle live in Dash Point, and I used to spend summers with them when I was little,” says Martin.

Oh, so he’s practically a native. That explains a lot.

“I really enjoy the Northwest music scene,” he continues. “There is so much good music between local artists and national acts coming through that it is a really neat place to be. Several local music promoters were very kind to me, especially Ted Brown Jr. at the Tacoma Old Town Blues Festival and Jennifer Johnson at Jazzbones. Also, my grandparents and other family will get a chance to hear me perform.”

Oh great, now he’s gonna tell the world about Tacoma. Would someone please shake up some rain clouds? We may have visitors coming. Oh well, it was bound to happen. Blame it on Tacoma Old Town Blues Festival organizers Ted Brown and Mike Mitchell. They’re at it again.
This year’s Old Town Blues festival kicks off with one of the most tempting reasons to get up before noon on a weekend that I’ve heard in a long time — the BluesBerry Pancake Breakfast at the Slavonian Hall. You have to get there by the crack of 9:30 a.m., but in return you get yummy pancakes and a special unplugged performance by the sassy Red Hotz. Smart buggers that they are, Brown and Mitchell left a spot in the lineup open for the pre-pancake nap I know I’m going to be craving. The real party gets started at noon — which is much more musician friendly if you ask me.

Alex Martin opens for Lil’ Dave Thompson July 14 at The Slavonian Hall Main Stage around 8:30 p.m. For more information about Alex Martin visit www.myspace.com/alexmartinblues.
The festival takes place at Old Town Park, The Slavonian Hall, The Spar and The Mountaineers Hall. The band lineup includes: Reloaded, Zero Down Blues, In The House, 7 on 7, Blues Alliance, Little Bill & The Blue Notes, Loose Gravel & The Quarry, Brown & Blues Band, Mark DuFresne, Michal Miller Band and Harmonica Red.

All performances in Old Town Park are free to the public.

For complete schedule and admission costs for the indoor venues, go to www.tacomaoldtownbluesfest.com.

The entire festival is a fundraiser for breast cancer research.
-Angela Jossy - Weekly Volcano- Jul 12, 2007

Ted Brown of T-Town Productions brought "Lil" Dave Thompson to the event last year. Brown considers Thompson one of the best blues artists he has ever heard. "When you listen to him, you know you are hearing the real deal," he declared. He also booked Thompson at The Spar, and the crowd loved him. "No one would let him leave," Brown remarked.

Brown books the acts for the festival each year. He aims to select acts people here can't normally see. One on this year's bill is Alex Martin, a 21-year-old guitarist from Anchorage. Martin went into a studio and recorded 10 songs on first takes. "I listened to it, and it was absolutely amazing," Brown recalled. He was especially moved by Martin's blues version of "Walk the Line" by Johnny Cash. "I got shivers from it," he remarked.

Martin's grandparents live in Tacoma, and he is spending the summer here. He will play between acts in the park during the day, then open for Thompson that evening. Brown described him as "the surprise of the show."
-John Larson - Tacoma Weekly- July 12, 2007

Ted Brown of T-Town Productions brought "Lil" Dave Thompson to the event last year. Brown considers Thompson one of the best blues artists he has ever heard. "When you listen to him, you know you are hearing the real deal," he declared. He also booked Thompson at The Spar, and the crowd loved him. "No one would let him leave," Brown remarked.

Brown books the acts for the festival each year. He aims to select acts people here can't normally see. One on this year's bill is Alex Martin, a 21-year-old guitarist from Anchorage. Martin went into a studio and recorded 10 songs on first takes. "I listened to it, and it was absolutely amazing," Brown recalled. He was especially moved by Martin's blues version of "Walk the Line" by Johnny Cash. "I got shivers from it," he remarked.

Martin's grandparents live in Tacoma, and he is spending the summer here. He will play between acts in the park during the day, then open for Thompson that evening. Brown described him as "the surprise of the show."
-John Larson - Tacoma Weekly- July 12, 2007