Freddy Martin
Frederick Alfred Martin (December 9, 1906 – September 30, 1983)[1] was an American bandleader and tenor saxophonist.
"Freddie Martin" redirects here. For the English footballer, see Freddie Martin (footballer). For the Jamaican cricketer, see Frank Martin (cricketer).
Freddy Martin
Frederick Alfred Martin
September 30, 1983 (aged 76)
Newport Beach, California, United States
Musician, bandleader
Saxophone
Early life[edit]
Freddy Martin was born in Cleveland, Ohio, United States.[1][2] Raised largely in an orphanage and by various relatives, Martin started out playing drums, then switched to C melody saxophone and subsequently tenor saxophone, the latter the one with which he would be identified.[1] Early on, he had intended to become a journalist. He had hoped that he would earn enough money from his musical work to enter Ohio State University, but instead, he wound up becoming an accomplished musician. Martin led his own band while he was in high school, then played in various local bands.[1] Martin spent his spare time selling musical instruments, which also gave him an excuse to listen to the Lombardos play at the "Music Box". After working on a ship's band, Martin joined the Mason-Dixon band, then joined Arnold Johnson and Jack Albin. It was with Albin's "Hotel Pennsylvania Music" that he made his first recordings for Columbia's Harmony, Velvet Tone, and Clarion 50-cent labels in 1930.[3]
Musical style[edit]
Martin was nicknamed "Mr. Silvertone" by saxophonist Johnny Hodges. Chu Berry named Martin his favorite saxophonist. He has also been idolized by many other saxophonists, including Eddie Miller. Although his playing has been admired by so many jazz musicians, Martin never tried to be a jazz musician. Martin always led a sweet-styled band. Unlike most sweet bands that just played dull music, Martin's band turned out to be one of the most musical and most melodic of all the typical hotel-room sweet bands. According to George T. Simon, Martin's band was "one of the most pleasant, most relaxed dance bands that ever flowed across the band scene."
He used the banner "Music in the Martin Manner." Russ Morgan used a similar banner when he finally landed a radio series with his own band in 1936. (Morgan's title was "Music in the Morgan Manner".) Morgan had been playing in Martin's band and the two were good friends for years. Morgan used some of Martin's arrangements when he started his band.
Later career[edit]
Martin employed various people from the music industry for vocal performances, such as singers Merv Griffin, Buddy Clark, Gene Merlino; pianists Sid Appleman and Terry Shand; saxophonists Elmer Feldkamp and Stuart Wade; violinist Eddie Stone, and many others.[1] Helen Ward was also a singer for Martin,[1] just before she joined Benny Goodman's new band.
Martin's popularity as a bandleader led him to Hollywood in the 1940s where he and his band appeared in a handful of films, including Seven Days' Leave (1942), Stage Door Canteen (1943),[1] and Melody Time (1948), among others.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Martin continued to perform on the radio and also appeared on TV. By 1955, he was featured five times a week on national radio networks through the RCA Thesaurus transciption service.[6] Untroubled by changing musical tastes, he continued to work at major venues and was musical director for Elvis Presley's first appearance in Las Vegas.[1] Still in demand for hotel work, Martin entered the 1970s with an engagement at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.[1] In the early 1970s, he was part of two tours of one-nighters that were known as 'The Big Band Cavalcade'. Among the other performers on the show were Margaret Whiting, Bob Crosby, Frankie Carle, Buddy Morrow, Art Mooney, and George Shearing. When the tours ended, Martin returned to the West Coast. In 1977, Martin was asked to lead Guy Lombardo's band when Lombardo was hospitalized with a heart condition.
Martin continued leading his band until the early 1980s, although by then, he was semi-retired. Freddy Martin died on September 30, 1983, in Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, after suffering a second stroke. He was 76 years old.[7]
The 1947 song "Pico and Sepulveda" was recorded by Martin under the alias of "Felix Figueroa and his Orchestra" and was frequently featured on Dr. Demento's syndicated radio show.[8] It was also featured in the 1980 surrealist film Forbidden Zone.