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Martin Pickett

Born in 1969, Martin's love of music took shape in his early teens, writing songs and playing guitar. He studied classical guitar through to Bristol University, while having piano as a second instrument and exploring compositional approaches.

After University he took a PGCE in secondary music education and then moved to Oxford to teach music in a secondary school. It was at this time that his interest in jazz piano dominated his musical activities.

In 1998 Martin left his teaching post to work as a freelance jazz pianist and teacher. Since this time he has worked in a variety of settings and worked with a wide array of Britain's most talented musicians.

He has recorded his own CD I'll Be With You Again in 2005 and played on albums by Diane Nalini, Tim Wilson, 3BPM, and Frank Hockney. He was featured as a composer on all of these apart from Frank's project.

His main focus at the moment is the group 3BPM and the songwriting collaboration with Tony Isaacs.

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9
Album Review

Hummus Crisis: Banks Of The River

Read "Banks Of The River" reviewed by Chris May


For their third album, British organ trio Hummus Crisis--guitarist Kevin M. Armstrong, organist Martin Pickett and drummer Ben Twyford--reconstruct themselves. The trio becomes a quartet with guest Alec Dankworth taking over the bass lines, and Pickett switching from organ to acoustic piano. And, in a smaller tweak, for the first time a standard, Jimmy Van Heusen's “Polka Dots And Moonbeams," is included in the otherwise all-originals set. The reason for bringing Dankworth in was that the trio ...

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3 bpm First Hearing SLAM 274 CD Andy Hamilton, Jazz Review, April/May 2008 3 bpm are a UK trio of Martin Pickett (piano), Paul Jeffries (bass) and Ben Twyford (drums) who first got together in Oxford two years ago. Their debut album features a strikingly conceived programme of pop and folk songs plus three excellent originals by Pickett. Elvis Costello's "Baby Plays Around" proves surprisingly amenable to a jazz treatment, while the simple structures of "Scarborough Fayre" yield a totally convincing re-composition. Pat Metheny's "The Red One" gets a catchy, funky interpretation. This is highly original playing, and in some ways a more persuasive use of contemporary material than Brad Mehldau's.
Primary Instrument

Piano

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Banks Of The River

Jazzcahoots
2023

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Lyric Pieces

Slam Records
2012

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First Hearing

Slam Records
2008

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First Hearing

Slam Records
2007

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