Martha Lorin

Martha Lorin was raised to be a jazz singer. Martha comes from a family of professional musicians and Welsh singers. Her grandmother, Sarah Dalton, sang in the 1920s at LA's famous Pantages Theater. Her mother, Margaret Dalton, was a pianist/singer/songwriter who was mentored by clarinetist Joe Vinuti and songwriter Willard Robinson. Margaret worked at The Muehlebach Theatre, Kansas City – known as the “heart” of the city – and had her own radio show there, where she introduced and sang new tunes. Martha was herself mentored by Ruth Etting, the enormously poplular 1920/30s singer who opened a jazz club in Colorado Springs with her pianist husband. It was Etting who advised Martha to “sing it the way you feel it.”

Martha Lorin was raised to be a jazz singer. Martha comes from a family of professional musicians and Welsh singers. Her grandmother, Sarah Dalton, sang in the 1920s at LA's famous Pantages Theater. Her mother, Margaret Dalton, was a pianist/singer/songwriter who was mentored by clarinetist Joe Vinuti and songwriter Willard Robinson. Margaret worked at The Muehlebach Theatre, Kansas City – known as the “heart” of the city – and had her own radio show there, where she introduced and sang new tunes. Martha was herself mentored by Ruth Etting, the enormously poplular 1920/30s singer who opened a jazz club in Colorado Springs with her pianist husband. It was Etting who advised Martha to “sing it the way you feel it.”

Martha Lorin made her professional debut as a singer at the age of 19 at San Francisco’s’ legendary Hungry I. She moved to San Francisco in 1979, where she worked in many of the Bay Area clubs for several years. Martha met Los Angeles pianist and composer Frank Collette in 1980 and began a collaboration with him as a lyricist, which resulted in several Billboard-nominated songs. Her first LP, The Best is Yet to Come (produced by Henry Lewy), featured jazz icons Mark Isham, Pee Wee Ellis, and Larry Klein, among others.

Now based in the New York Metropolitan area, Martha continues her close collaborations with the best musicians in jazz, working in the top venues of New York and environs. Martha has been praised for the brilliance of her tone, the beauty of her voice and her exceptional way with a lyric. Martha has received a Back Stage Bistro Award in the Jazz Vocalist category and a Billboard Award for her songwriting abilities. Major musicians that Martha has worked with include Tommy Flanigan, Russ Kassoff, Billy Stritch, Jon Weber, Bucky Pizzarelli, John Pizzarelli, Clark Terry, Junior Mance, Jay Leonhart, Harvie S, Benny Powell, Saadi Zain and Sean Harkness. Her recent appearances include major venues such as Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Iridium Jazz Club, Cafe Noctambulo at Pangea, the South Bend Jazz Festival, Trio's Jazz Club, Yoshi's, Feinstein's at the Regency, Judy's, 88's, the Metropolitan Room, Chicago’s Green Mill, Catch 35, Bailiwick Theater, Milford, PA Theater, and various venues in San Francisco Bay Area and clubs in the Los Angeles area. Martha has also toured internationally, singing in key venues in Japan, the Philippines and Europe.