Bill Martin

Bill Martin is jazz pianist, saxophonist and composer who is based in Dunedin, New Zealand. Working as a pianist, he is the leader of the Bill Martin Trio and has released an album of original jazz compositions titled "Dark Water" (2012). More recently, he has written compositions for jazz septet that have recorded live and released in the album "Over to You" (2022). He is currently working on a new album of studio recordings to be recorded by the septet in 2023.

Bill Martin is the Director of the Dunedin Jazz Club, a successful community organisation that stages monthly jazz concerts at Hanover Hall and the Dish Cafe in Dunedin. Through this venture, he has performed with a number of high profile touring artists, including Geoff Culverwell, Michael Gordon, Jake Baxendale, Nick Tipping, Edwina Thorne, Michael Storey, Gwyn Reynolds, Nick Granville, Nick Cornish and many others.

Bill has performed at jazz festivals across New Zealand, including showcase concerts at the Queenstown Jazz Festival, Harbour Street Jazz Festival and gigs at the Wellington and National Jazz in Tauranga. He has held a number of long term residencies at popular night spots, including Carousel Lounge Bar (2013-2018), Dog with Two Tails (2019-2020) and currently at the Inch Bar (2021-2023).

Bill is also a jazz educator in Dunedin and a leading figure on the local jazz scene. He has organised workshops and competitions for students across Dunedin. He is the director of the Dunedin Youth Jazz Orchestra and write Big Band compositions and arrangements for this ensemble. Bill is the founder of the Dunedin Youth Jazz Festival, a big band competition for high school students and the chairperson of the Dunedin Jazz Foundation, a charitable trust that supports the development of jazz from the grassroots to the professional level. 

Bill Martin also holds a PhD in English and is a published author in this field. He was a Postdoctoral Fellow in Irish Studies at the University of Otago and published a book titled "Joyce and the Science of Rhythm" that was published by Palgrave-MacMillan in 2012.

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