Martin Speake
Biography
Martin Speake was born in Barnet in 1958 and took up the saxophone at the age of 16. He studied classical saxophone at Trinity College of Music, London from 1977-1981. Whilst there he was awarded the Dame Ruth Railton prize for woodwind playing. Since then Martin has been a freelance jazz musician, composer and educator, performing throughout the world.
Martin first became known as a founder member of the award winning saxophone quartet Itchy Fingers with whom he toured Europe, South America, Africa, USA and Britain and recorded two albums. Since leaving this group in 1988 he has performed, recorded and composed extensively with his own projects.
His wide range of collaborators reflects the many areas of jazz he is comfortable with. These include duos with guitarists Phil Lee and Colin Oxley, the Unison Quartet playing Indian/Arabic inspired music, free improvising with drummer Mark Sanders and the Martin Speake Group recently reformed with Mike Outram, Tom Herbert and Tom Skinner playing original music.
In 1999 he received the Peter Whittingham Award to help fund a tour of the UK with The Martin Speake Group. He has recently been commissioned to compose music for an international project featuring American drummer Paul Motian, Swedish pianist bobo Stenson and English bassist Mick Hutton.
Martin is very involved in jazz education and is saxophone professor and contemporary music co-ordinator on the Royal Academy of Music, jazz course and saxophone teacher at Middlesex University.
www.martinspeake.co.uk