Chink Martin was a fixture in New Orleans for many decades. He started out on guitar before switching to tuba. Martin started playing professionally with Papa Jack Laine's Reliance Brass Band around 1910. He freelanced locally and then went north in 1923 to play and record with the New Orleans Rhythm Kings. Martin soon returned home, working with Johnny Bayersdorffer and recording again with the New Orleans Rhythm Kings in 1925. Martin played with the Halfway House Orchestra, the New Orleans Harmony Kings and later on the New Orleans Swing Kings. He spent the 1930s as a staff musician at radio station WSMB. Martin, who gradually switched to bass (although never completely giving up playing tuba) was a busy freelancer during the '40s,'50s and '60s, playing with the who's who of New Orleans jazz including Sharkey Bonano, Santo Pecora, Pete Fountain, Al Hirt and (in the '60s) the Crawford-Ferguson Night Owls. Martin led one album (sticking to tuba) for Southland in 1963. His son, Martin "Little Chink" Abraham, was also a fine bassist in New Orleans. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi