Back in the late 90’s, “The Independence Project” was a platform created by Rebecca Martin who had recently exited her group ‘Once Blue’, a band that she co-led with songwriter Jesse Harris. “I wanted to organize something that would bring together others to help develop their music and sound by way of live performance” says Martin. By creating several groups of three musicians, each would share their resources with one another while touring one region of the Country at a time. The goal was to build in a new region each year until the group was touring for up to half the year. “It was a great opportunity for all of us to perform more often in and out of New York City during our down time”. A little over ten years later, Rebecca reunites members for an unforgettable evening of songs and stories with renowned singer/songwriters Amy Correia, Jim Allen, Frank Tedesso, Timothy Hill, Jane Kelly Williams, Jen Clapp and Alice Biershorst.
https://rebeccamartin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/rm04brown.png00rebeccamartinhttps://rebeccamartin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/rm04brown.pngrebeccamartin2011-09-06 19:47:192013-02-09 21:17:03Rebecca Reunites Songwriters from “The Independence Project” on Sunday, September 18th
Rebecca Martin was nominated best female Jazz singer of the year by the Jazz Journalist Association. She shares the honor with singers Cassandra Wilson, Gretchen Parlato, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Roberta Gambarini. To see the complete list, click on this LINK.
https://rebeccamartin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/rm04brown.png00rebeccamartinhttps://rebeccamartin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/rm04brown.pngrebeccamartin2011-04-28 16:46:142013-02-09 21:17:03Rebecca Martin is nominated best female Jazz singer by the Jazz Journalist Association.
Last year, I had the privilege to begin a song writing program at the Stanford Jazz Workshop. I’m happy to continue the program in 2011 which also happens to be the SJW’s 40th Anniversary. The Songwriting Program will take place on July 31st – August 5th.
To help celebrate, I’ve invited my good friends Gretchen Parlato and Becca Stevens to be guests for the week.
There is only room for 12-14 students, so sign up now.
It also appears as though Gretchen, Becca and I will be performing a concert at Stanford University opening for the wonderful pianist Taylor Eigsti. Dates TBA.
Below is the tentative schedule. It’s going to be a special week.
https://rebeccamartin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/rm04brown.png00rebeccamartinhttps://rebeccamartin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/rm04brown.pngrebeccamartin2011-03-05 15:26:412025-07-13 14:31:44Stanford Jazz Workshop “Songwriter Program” Led By Rebecca Martin with Special Guests Gretchen Parlato and Becca Stevens.
Read this recent music review of Rebecca Martin by Nate Chinen in the New York Times. Here is an excerpt:
“As jazz singers go, Rebecca Martin exudes the plainest sort of poise, almost radical in its utter lack of flash. When she wasn’t cradling an acoustic guitar on Thursday night at the Cornelia Street Café, she held her arms clasped behind her back, as if to make sure they wouldn’t be a distraction. She sang quietly, favoring slow tempos.
Her embellishments registered on the granular level, in the placement of a phrase or a light catch in her throat. She was unerringly faithful to the melodies of the songs, both standards and originals, but at her best she made them seem less like songs than like articulations of her state of mind….”
https://rebeccamartin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/rm04brown.png00rebeccamartinhttps://rebeccamartin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/rm04brown.pngrebeccamartin2011-01-29 08:54:212013-02-09 21:17:04New York Times: “Spare Vocals Illuminate Emotions Underneath”
The New York Times gives enthusiastic reviews of Rebecca Martin’s new album “When I Was Long Ago”, and in support of her next live performance in New York City on Thursday, December 16th 2010. Showtimes are 7:30pm and 9:30pm at the JAZZ STANDARD. For tickets, visit this LINK.
“The jazz singer Rebecca Martin can sing slow swing with a supreme sense of centering around the pulse, re-designing melodies and making her voice crinkle at emotional points. And when the drumming goes away completely, she grows stronger…the musicians give her molasses swing and empathy and lots of empty space, and she takes care of the rest.” Ben Ratliff, The New York Times
“On her gorgeously intimate new album ‘When I Was Long Ago’ the singer Rebecca Martin addresses a program of jazz standards as if sifting through treasured momentos”. Nate Chinen, New York Times
https://rebeccamartin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/rm04brown.png00rebeccamartinhttps://rebeccamartin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/rm04brown.pngrebeccamartin2010-12-11 16:19:242013-02-09 21:17:04The New York Times Raves….twice in a week.
Rebecca Martin will celebrate the release of her “exquisite” (NPRs Weekend All Things Considered) new album When I Was Long Ago (Sunnyside Records) on Thursday, December 16 at the Jazz Standard, 116 East 27th Street, New York, NY. Sets are at 7:30 and 9:30, and tickets are $20.00. Reservations can be made at 212-576-2232 or via Ticketweb.com
Martin will be accompanied by bassist Larry Grenadier (Brad Mehldau Trio, Pat Metheny) and saxophonist Bill McHenry (Guillermo Klein, Paul Motian), who are also featured on the album.
When she set out to record her new album of standards, Martin resolved to seek out each songs original vocal read and to unearth their original arrangements and lost verses.
The resulting collection of eleven songs is most extraordinary, absolutely delightful and thoroughly unforgettable, (All About Jazz) and a perfect showcase for Martins warm, unguarded voice (New York Times).
In his four-star review of When I Was Long Ago in renowned French magazine Telerama, critic Michel Contat writes that Martin raises the bar with this album, and praises her voice, which he pronounces as expressive as Joni Mitchells.
For more information about Rebecca Martin, please contact Regina Joskow [regina@missingpiecegroup.com] at the Missing Piece Group, (862)234-0801 or Patrice Fehlen [patrice@septembergurl.com] at September Gurl PR (718)768-3859.
https://rebeccamartin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/rm04brown.png00rebeccamartinhttps://rebeccamartin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/rm04brown.pngrebeccamartin2010-10-29 00:24:412013-02-09 21:17:04Tickets On Sale Now! Rebecca Martin, Larry Grenadier and Bill McHenry at the Jazz Standard on December 16th.
https://rebeccamartin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/rm04brown.png00rebeccamartinhttps://rebeccamartin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/rm04brown.pngrebeccamartin2010-10-13 13:00:312013-02-09 21:17:04Michel Contat Gives ‘When I Was Long Ago’ Four Stars in Telerama, France
New Collection of Standards Shines a Light on Original Arrangements, Lost Verses
When acclaimed singer-songwriter Rebecca Martin set out to make an album of standards, she resolved to seek out each song’s original vocal read, which proved to be quite a challenge, but one well worth taking on. “As a songwriter and singer, I found that many of the beloved old classics have been changed a great deal…Verses, lyrics and arrangements have been deleted or changed, in some cases quite dramatically.” She reflects “Going back to the earliest vocal read to hear what might have been the author’s original intention was a real education,” and she urges other musicians to “think of these songs as ‘elders’ instead of ‘standards’ to remove the heroic connotation and allow there to be space for the songs to simply be.”
The resulting collection of eleven songs, When I Was Long Ago, is “most extraordinary, absolutely delightful and thoroughly unforgettable” (All About Jazz), and a perfect showcase for Martin’s “warm, unguarded voice” (New York Times). Martin says, “It’s an honor to sing a song that spans 75-plus years. I think of this as an ancestral project. Working with this intention brought new meaning to these old songs.” Read more
https://rebeccamartin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/rm04brown.png00rebeccamartinhttps://rebeccamartin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/rm04brown.pngrebeccamartin2010-10-09 23:27:502025-07-13 14:36:02Rebecca Martin Honors Her “Elders” on Latest Release “When I Was Long Ago”
Rebecca Reunites Songwriters from “The Independence Project” on Sunday, September 18th
Sunday, September 18th – Live at the Falcon, Marlboro, NY. Showtime 7:30pm.
Back in the late 90’s, “The Independence Project” was a platform created by Rebecca Martin who had recently exited her group ‘Once Blue’, a band that she co-led with songwriter Jesse Harris. “I wanted to organize something that would bring together others to help develop their music and sound by way of live performance” says Martin. By creating several groups of three musicians, each would share their resources with one another while touring one region of the Country at a time. The goal was to build in a new region each year until the group was touring for up to half the year. “It was a great opportunity for all of us to perform more often in and out of New York City during our down time”. A little over ten years later, Rebecca reunites members for an unforgettable evening of songs and stories with renowned singer/songwriters Amy Correia, Jim Allen, Frank Tedesso, Timothy Hill, Jane Kelly Williams, Jen Clapp and Alice Biershorst.
Rebecca Martin is nominated best female Jazz singer by the Jazz Journalist Association.
Rebecca Martin was nominated best female Jazz singer of the year by the Jazz Journalist Association. She shares the honor with singers Cassandra Wilson, Gretchen Parlato, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Roberta Gambarini. To see the complete list, click on this LINK.
Stanford Jazz Workshop “Songwriter Program” Led By Rebecca Martin with Special Guests Gretchen Parlato and Becca Stevens.
Dear Friends,
Last year, I had the privilege to begin a song writing program at the Stanford Jazz Workshop. I’m happy to continue the program in 2011 which also happens to be the SJW’s 40th Anniversary. The Songwriting Program will take place on July 31st – August 5th.
To help celebrate, I’ve invited my good friends Gretchen Parlato and Becca Stevens to be guests for the week.
There is only room for 12-14 students, so sign up now.
It also appears as though Gretchen, Becca and I will be performing a concert at Stanford University opening for the wonderful pianist Taylor Eigsti. Dates TBA.
Below is the tentative schedule. It’s going to be a special week.
Happy spring.
Rebecca Martin Read more
New York Times: “Spare Vocals Illuminate Emotions Underneath”
Read this recent music review of Rebecca Martin by Nate Chinen in the New York Times. Here is an excerpt:
“As jazz singers go, Rebecca Martin exudes the plainest sort of poise, almost radical in its utter lack of flash. When she wasn’t cradling an acoustic guitar on Thursday night at the Cornelia Street Café, she held her arms clasped behind her back, as if to make sure they wouldn’t be a distraction. She sang quietly, favoring slow tempos.
The New York Times Raves….twice in a week.
The New York Times gives enthusiastic reviews of Rebecca Martin’s new album “When I Was Long Ago”, and in support of her next live performance in New York City on Thursday, December 16th 2010. Showtimes are 7:30pm and 9:30pm at the JAZZ STANDARD. For tickets, visit this LINK.
“The jazz singer Rebecca Martin can sing slow swing with a supreme sense of centering around the pulse, re-designing melodies and making her voice crinkle at emotional points. And when the drumming goes away completely, she grows stronger…the musicians give her molasses swing and empathy and lots of empty space, and she takes care of the rest.”
Ben Ratliff, The New York Times
“On her gorgeously intimate new album ‘When I Was Long Ago’ the singer Rebecca Martin addresses a program of jazz standards as if sifting through treasured momentos”.
Nate Chinen, New York Times
Tickets On Sale Now! Rebecca Martin, Larry Grenadier and Bill McHenry at the Jazz Standard on December 16th.
Rebecca Martin will celebrate the release of her “exquisite” (NPRs Weekend All Things Considered) new album When I Was Long Ago (Sunnyside Records) on Thursday, December 16 at the Jazz Standard, 116 East 27th Street, New York, NY. Sets are at 7:30 and 9:30, and tickets are $20.00. Reservations can be made at 212-576-2232 or via Ticketweb.com
Martin will be accompanied by bassist Larry Grenadier (Brad Mehldau Trio, Pat Metheny) and saxophonist Bill McHenry (Guillermo Klein, Paul Motian), who are also featured on the album.
When she set out to record her new album of standards, Martin resolved to seek out each songs original vocal read and to unearth their original arrangements and lost verses.
The resulting collection of eleven songs is most extraordinary, absolutely delightful and thoroughly unforgettable, (All About Jazz) and a perfect showcase for Martins warm, unguarded voice (New York Times).
In his four-star review of When I Was Long Ago in renowned French magazine Telerama, critic Michel Contat writes that Martin raises the bar with this album, and praises her voice, which he pronounces as expressive as Joni Mitchells.
For more information about Rebecca Martin, please contact Regina Joskow [regina@missingpiecegroup.com] at the Missing Piece Group, (862)234-0801 or Patrice Fehlen [patrice@septembergurl.com] at September Gurl PR (718)768-3859.
Michel Contat Gives ‘When I Was Long Ago’ Four Stars in Telerama, France
“When I Was Long Ago” was given a four star review by the important writer Michel Contat in Telerama Magazine today.
You can read it by following this LINK
Rebecca Martin Honors Her “Elders” on Latest Release “When I Was Long Ago”
New Collection of Standards Shines a Light on Original Arrangements, Lost Verses
When acclaimed singer-songwriter Rebecca Martin set out to make an album of standards, she resolved to seek out each song’s original vocal read, which proved to be quite a challenge, but one well worth taking on. “As a songwriter and singer, I found that many of the beloved old classics have been changed a great deal…Verses, lyrics and arrangements have been deleted or changed, in some cases quite dramatically.” She reflects “Going back to the earliest vocal read to hear what might have been the author’s original intention was a real education,” and she urges other musicians to “think of these songs as ‘elders’ instead of ‘standards’ to remove the heroic connotation and allow there to be space for the songs to simply be.”
The resulting collection of eleven songs, When I Was Long Ago, is “most extraordinary, absolutely delightful and thoroughly unforgettable” (All About Jazz), and a perfect showcase for Martin’s “warm, unguarded voice” (New York Times). Martin says, “It’s an honor to sing a song that spans 75-plus years. I think of this as an ancestral project. Working with this intention brought new meaning to these old songs.” Read more