Martin Sullivan

Martin has spent the last eight years away from his home state of California to pursue the study and performance of music. During this time he received a bachelor’s degree in music from Indiana University and a master’s degree in music from the Manhattan School of Music in New York City. During one summer spent in Los Angeles, Martin was one of the four trombone players in the nation chosen to participate in the Henry Mancini Institute.

Despite Martin’s formal training, his primary sources of inspiration have always come from outside the classroom. “My biggest influences in music have always been my peers. I feel that I must be a part of a community of musicians if I want my music to grow and improve. The music scene is the only real-life work environment I have.”

When living in New York City, Martin had the opportunity to play at numerous venues including Smoke, The Jazz Standard, Detour, Birdland, and Dizzy’s Coca-Cola Club at Lincoln Center. During this time he played with musicians such as Chris Potter, Don Braden, Randy Brecker, Michele Legrand, Burt Bacharach, Dick Oatts and Dave Leibman. Martin also considers himself very privileged to have studied under the mentorship of New York City trombonist David Gibson who inspired Martin with his personal sound and truthful compositions.

In music, Martin has learned that harmony and melody oftentimes supersede an exaggerated emphasis on technique. “It has always been my goal to capture the subtleties in a piece of music. I think that the most crucial element of music is sound. On the trombone, the REAL sound, the good vibratory sound, comes from the bottom half of the range.”

When asked which artists have most influenced his style of music, Martin responds that he is not so much influenced by one particular artist, but rather by several key albums. These albums include A Day in Copenhagen (Dexter Gordon), Treats for the Nightwalker (Josh Roseman Unit), Flip (Andy Parsons) and Hejira (Joni Mitchell).

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