Martyna

'Classic song after classic song' BBC Radio London

Already an established artist on the acoustic music scene, it was shortly after completing the Leverhulme Artist Development programme, a scholarship awarded to only 5 people in the country and run by acclaimed venue The Stables founded by Dame Cleo Laine and Sir John Dankworth,that Martyna sat down at her piano and unknowingly began to write her first jazz song.

Despite a longstanding love of jazz having spent hours as a teenager pouring over old jazz records and guest singing with various big bands it wasn’t until a meeting with jazz pianist John Bowman in 2007 that Martyna found her own voice in Jazz and has continued to develop it ever since.

Whilst attending the Sligo Jazz Project, Martyna had the privilege of performing one of her original songs ‘Just Another Woman’ in concert to an audience that included established jazz artists such as Paul Wertico, Norma Winstone and Rufus Reid among others which resulted in Rufus proclaiming 'That's one talented lady!'.

Over the next few years Martyna toured extensively around the UK and Germany and is now recognised as 'One of the UK's finest up and coming jazz artists' Jazz FM

Martyna was also the first artist to feature in 'Jazz Life UK' a project focusing on emerging talent in the UK jazz scene.

Following the release of her critically acclaimed 'Oh Butterfly' EP, Martyna is currently back in the studio recording a number of original jazz works that capture the unmistakable magic of the cool jazz era. With an exciting new line up that adds vibes and cello to John Bowman's trio, there's more than a hint of intentional nostalgia and a clear nod to influences such as June Christy and Julie London in both her writing and live performances.

Recently Martyna appeared at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival and following sold out shows in the UK will shortly make her first appearance at the London Jazz Festival in November 2012.

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