Martin Shaw

Martin is regarded as one of the top jazz soloists in the country; you will hear him in an extraordinary range of settings from big band to quartet, cutting edge jazz to contemporary pop and funk. He began playing trumpet aged 11 and within a few years was working with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain as well as gigging informally around the Midlands with his jazz pianist father. In 1985 Martin gained a place at the Royal Academy of Music in London to study classical and jazz trumpet, and went on to hone his jazz chops at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

As a freelance player over the last 12 years, Martin has worked with most of the leading jazz artists of the last 30 years including Cleo Laine, John Dankworth, Pete King, Dick Morrisey, Tim Garland. His big band work includes the BBC Big Band, currently led by trombonist Jiggs Whigham and recently, the Michelle Legrand Jazz Orchestra. Along with session and T.V. work Martin still finds time to perform with classical ensembles and in West End shows and to complete the circle has also recorded with some of the biggest rock/pop acts around – Sting, Jamiroquai, Natalie Cole and so on.

In 2001, Martin was appointed professor of Jazz Trumpet at the Birmingham Conservatoire. A stunning musician at the top of his game.