Martyna

'An incredible voice that will take you to places you'll want to visit again and again.' Richard Allinson, BBC Radio 2Already an established artist on the acoustic music scene it was a recording of Nina Simone that saw the turning point in Martyna’s career. Having just completed the Leverhulme Artist Development programme, a scholarship awarded to only 5 people in the country and run by the acclaimed Stables venue founded by Cleo Laine and John Dankworth, Martyna sat down at her piano and unknowingly began to write her first jazz song.Looking back this change in direction is no surprise as during her teenage years Martyna spent hours listening to Cole Porter songs and discovered a love of Ella Fitzgerald, Julie London and Dinah Washington. However it wasn’t until a meeting with jazz pianist John Bowman that Martyna found her own voice in Jazz and has continued to develop it ever since.In 2007 Martyna had the privilege of performing one of her original songs ‘Just Another Woman’ in front of established jazz artists such as Paul Wertico, Sandro Gibellini and Rufus Reid among others at the Sligo Jazz Project which also saw her embarking on a week of masterclasses with BBC Jazz Award Nominee Norma Winstone.Working with the John Bowman Quintet, Martyna will be performing original material alongside classic standards and her debut Jazz release is expected in 2009.