Barbara Martin

One might be tempted to disbelieve the list of superlatives critics often attached to jazz and blues singer-songwriter Barbara Martin. Witty. Intelligent. Sultry. Down-to-earth. Insightful. Ironic. Polished. Slice-of-life. Sensitive. Provocative. But one listen and you will believe everything they say about her. Barbara Martin is the real deal; a true renaissance woman in a genre prone to stereotypes and pigeon-holes. Barbara’s soulful voice and skillful songwriting make you want “…to lean back in a room with low lights and sip a martini,” as one fan puts it, savoring each song “… as American in style as it is universal in emotional intelligence.” (Washington Post)

“I wanna be James Dean with insolent lips” writes jazz and blues singer-songwriter Barbara Martin in her song “It’s Too Late to Die Young,” and the lyrics and song title couldn’t be more descriptive of a musician known for being an accomplished vocal interpreter of the great jazz and blues standards yet brave enough to stretch the boundaries of the female jazz and blues singer stereotype. Chanteuse, girl-next-door and perceptive poet all rolled into one, the Washington Post calls Barbara Martin’s music “… as American in style as it is universal in emotional intelligence.”