Carl Martin
0 Shouts - 3,300 Scrobbles
Biography
Born:
Read More...Apr 01, 1906 in Big Stone Gap, Virginia
Died:
May 10, 1979 in Pontiac, Michigan
Genre: Blues
Active: '30s - '70s
Instruments: Conga, Percussion, Guitar
Biography
Carl Martin was born near Stone Gap, VA, on April 1, 1906. His main instrument was mandolin but he also mastered the guitar, and according to those who saw him perform, could play anything with strings. Martin not only performed solo, but also spent much of his career in a trio featuring Ted Bogan (guitar) and Howard Armstrong (violin). The trio enjoyed a career that spanned five decades and was known under several different monikers, including the Four Keys, the Tennessee Chocolate Drops, and the Wandering Troubadours. Martin, Bogan, and Armstrong initially traveled all over the south entertaining at medicine shows, county fairs, and on the radio. When they couldn't get an actual paying gig, they would play for tips in local taverns. In the late '30s, they followed the great migration to Chicago where they would eventually go their separate ways, occasionally playing together. In the ensuing years, Martin would benefit greatly from playing for the diverse ethnic crowds spread out over countless neighborhoods in Chicago, developing a repertoire of blues, jazz, pop, country, and even non-English songs. Following years of playing solo, Martin, Bogan, and Armstrong reunited in the early '70s and played the folk and blues festival circuit all over the country. Luckily, a few discs remain in print that trace Martin's long career from the '30s to his final sessions before he passed away in Pontiac, MI, on May 10, 1979. ~ Al Campbell, All Music Guide
Representative Songs:
"Old Time Blues," "Crow Jane," "Joe Louis Blues"
Representative Albums:
Crow Jane Blues, The Complete Recordings 1930-1936, Complete Works, Vol. 1
Similar Artists:
Washboard Rhythm Kings, Walter Roland, Robert Johnson, Tampa Red, Charley Patton, Bumble Bee Slim, Big Bill Broonzy
A Member of the Group:
Martin, Bogan & the Armstrongs, Shai
Worked With:
Lance Quinn, Jazz Gillum, Jerry Friedman, George Devens, Black Bob Hudson, Bob Babbitt
User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License and may also be available under the GNU FDL.
Top Songs
Total plays on Last.fm over the last 6 months- Crow Jane - (4:36) - 62 plays
- Download This Track
Amazon MP30.99 USD
7digital
iTunes0.99 USD- Ringtone
- Farewell To You Baby - (3:07) - 56 plays
- Download This Track
Amazon MP30.99 USD
7digital
iTunes0.99 USD- Ringtone
- Let's Have A New Deal - (3:51) - 29 plays
- Download This Track
Amazon MP30.99 USD
7digital
iTunes0.99 USD- Ringtone
- That New Kind of Stuff - 32 plays
- Download This Track
Amazon MP30.89 USD
7digital
iTunes0.99 USD- Ringtone
- Good Morning, Judge - (2:51) - 23 plays
- Download This Track
Amazon MP30.99 USD
7digital
iTunes0.99 USD- Ringtone
- Badly Mistreated Man - (3:11) - 18 plays
- Download This Track
Amazon MP30.99 USD
7digital
iTunes- Ringtone
- Everyday I Have the Blues - (3:42) - 12 plays
- Download This Track
Amazon MP30.99 USD
7digital0.99 USD
iTunes0.99 USD- Ringtone
- Old Time Blues - (2:47) - 10 plays
- Download This Track
Amazon MP30.99 USD
7digital
iTunes0.99 USD- Ringtone
- Gravedigger Blues - (3:39) - 12 plays
- Download This Track
Amazon MP30.99 USD
7digital0.99 USD
iTunes0.99 USD- Ringtone
- Joe Lewis Blues - 16 plays
- Download This Track
Amazon MP30.89 USD
7digital
iTunes- Ringtone