Tito Martino

Tito Martino (*1937), Brazilian born clarinetist and saxophonist plays enthusiastically since 1957, in the tradition of Johnny Dodds, Sidney Bechet, Albert Nicholas, Omer Simeon, George Lewis. He recorded 8 LPs and 5 CDs. Tito talked to Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington and jammed with Teddy Wilson, Oscar Peterson (that was fortunately recorded), Wally Rose, Bob Wilber, Bob Haggart, Louis Nelson, Alvin Alcorn, Louis Barbarin, Louis Cottrell Jr. and other big names of Jazz. In 1974 Tito Martino managed to take his Band to the USA, to play some gigs in New Orleans, N.York, New Jersey, Miami and Tucson Arizona. The Band attracted attention of prestigious and respected Jazz critics John Wilson of New York Times and Hal Willard, of Washington Post. They published Tito’s photos on their newspapers and wrote very nice reviews about his concerts like the one at NY Jazz Museum, organized by Jack Bradley. Wilson wrote: “Mr. Martino revealed his affection for the style of George Lewis, the New Orleans clarinetist, in a beautifully shaded performance of Burgundy Street Blues; but although one could hear occasional reflections of well known American jazz men … he was drawing in a number of sources and putting things together in his own individual way”. After jamming together in New Orleans, Alvin Alcorn, the great black trumpetist of Kid Ory’s Band, tapped Tito’s shoulder and said: “Know what, man? you’re black inside”. The Band performed also in Wash. DC, a Concert for Potomac Jazz Club, aired by The Voice of America. As a consequence Tito Martino’s Band was engaged next year (1975) by newsman, radio producer and writer Royal Stokes, and under his supervision they did a second tour going now to Chicago Heights, Toledo, Akron, St. Louis, NY, Wash. DC, Boston, Worcester, after playing at the N. Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, were they where considered by Second Line magazine writers, the best foreign Band at the Festival. Back to Brazil Tito opened his much celebrated and now missed OPUS 2004 Jazz Club, and soon he had big names in Jazz, after finishing their Concerts elsewhere in S. Paulo, jamming with them after hours, like Earl Hines, Teddy Wilson, Manuel Sayles, Kid Thomas, and also Brubeck, Johnny Mince, Johnny Best, Art Blakey, etc. The Club was visited also by many others jazzmen who signed upon the wall. At this time the power-house Bass player Bob van Oven from the Dutch Swing College Band was in Brazil and stayed for a year in Tito’s Band.

In 1983, Tito changed residence to Swiss, for ten years long, and soon helped to start there an all-Swiss new Band, the Bogalusa New Orleans Jazzband. This Band performed at Ascona Jazz Festival and while playing with NO trombonist Louis Nelson they attracted attention of jazz records producer George H. Buck who recorded the Band in the GHB-230 “Let’s Have a Good Time”. In 1993 Tito came back to Brazil, where he started his new Band the TITO MARTINO JAZZ BAND. In December 2000 Tito managed to bring to S. Paulo the legendary Original Dixieland Jazz Band, now under leadership of Jimmy LaRocca, with Tim Laughlin on clarinet; and together with the famous Porteña Jazz Band from Buenos Aires, and his own Band, the three bands performed two Armstrong Memorial Concerts to a packed 800 seats Auditorium. In June 2006, the TITO MARTINO JAZZ BAND performed in Portugal at the expanding Cantanhede Dixieland Festival, and afterwards Tito played a short European tour organized by trombonist Jens Lindgren from the famous Kustbandet Big Band. In October 2009 Tito sponsored a Concert of the whole Kustbandet at Memorial da América Latina in São Paulo. Presently Tito Martino Jazz Band plays in São Paulo, and does Concerts, Shows and Jazz-speeches at Clubs, Theaters, parties and company events. www.titomartinojazzband.com.br

Awards

"Pioneer of Traditional Jazz in Brazil", Diplom given by His Excellence Secretary of Culture of Rio de Janeiro.