Rebecca Martin is a gifted singer, guitarist, and composer whose sound showcases her nuanced brand of folk, pop, and jazz. A native of Rumford, Maine, Martin began singing around age eight, and by her teens was recording at a local studio. While in college, she studied jazz vocal performance, and began gigging around New York City. In the early '90s, Martin befriended guitarist (and future Norah Jones collaborator) Jesse Harris and formed the jazz-influenced pop outfit Once Blue, which also featured saxophonist Mark Turner, drummer Jeff Ballard, bassist Ben Street, keyboardist Scott Kinsey, and guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel. They signed to EMI, and in 1995 debuted with Once Blue, featuring the single "Save Me." Despite some initial success, a label restructuring at EMI left the band's sophomore album unreleased, and they eventually broke up. In 1998, Martin debuted as a solo artist with Thoroughfare, which found her continuing her creative partnership with Harris and featured contributions from her husband, bassist Larry Grenadier, as well as guitarist Steve Cardenas and tenor sax player Bill McHenry. A well-received standards collection, Middlehope, followed on Fresh Sound New Talent in 2000. She then began working with drummer/composer Paul Motian, appearing on his album On Broadway, Vol. 4 or the Paradox of Continuity, and singing at a 2006 Carnegie Hall tribute concert to Village Vanguard owner Lorraine Gordon. The experience helped propel Martin's creativity, and in 2008 she returned with her own progressive, poetic effort, Growing Season. Produced by guitarist and former bandmate Rosenwinkel, it once again featured Grenadier and drummer Brian Blade. In 2010, she delivered her second standards album, When I Was Long Ago, which showcased her trio with Grenadier and saxophonist McHenry. Three years later, she returned with the largely all-original set Twain, with Grenadier, drummer Dan Rieser, and pianist Peter Rende. She then paired with vocalist Gretchen Parlato and singer/guitarist Becca Stevens for the album Tillery. For 2017's The Upstate Project, Martin collaborated with keyboardist/vocalist Guillermo Klein. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi