Home » Staff Directory » Member Page

Martin Van Blockson

Member Since: 2009 | Location: Norfolk | Page Views: 1,756

Contact Me Subscriber Pro

About Me

Martin Blockson started his musical journey at the age of eight learning to read music in school bands playing clarinet and eventually picking up the saxophone at age 11 in jr. high school. As he honed his talents in band, Martin soon developed a passion for writing songs and started playing the piano as well. Growing up in a military family and living all over the world exposed Martin to many cultures and music. The church also played a major role in his musical development. During his high school years, Martin played in several local jazz clubs and various churches in the Tidewater, Va. Area. After graduating from high school, Martin received a scholarship to attend the prestigious Berklee College of Music where he studied Jazz composition, commercial song writing, jingle writing and developed his skills as a record producer. It was at Berklee where he formed a writer's relationship with artist Lalah Hathaway. His first song placement on Virgin Records was on Lalah’s debut Cd entitled Stay Home Tonight. Blockson also signed a publishing deal with Warner/ Chapelle Publishing shortly thereafter. Martin has written, produced, and remixed records for artists such as Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind and Fire, Dale Bozzio, Chris Bender, Gerald Levert, Vesta, Men At Large, Skyy, Glen Jones, Chris Pittman, David Pic Conley, Surface Cindy Mizelle, Lorenzo, En Vogue, Mick Murphy, Ann G., Cornell Stone, Rayna, Bad Boyz of the Industry, CeCe Rogers, Ten City, In Reverence, Terry Dexter, Deborah Killings, In Due Season,Parmalee, Darnerien McCants, Byron Stingily, Sue Ann Carwell, and the list goes on as the musical journey continues. Today, Martin teaches private music instruction, plays with a Jazz group quite often and is still writting and producing records as well as producing music for film and television commercials.

Badge

Tier

Explorer

Points Earned

292

Favorite Musicians / Bands

My Jazz Story

I love jazz because... I was first exposed to jazz... I met [musician name]... The best show I ever attended was... The first jazz record I bought was... My advice to new listeners... Or whatever else you have in mind.

My House Concert Story


This page was last updated on 2025-11-23.

Engage

Publisher's Desk
Radio & Podcast News plus How AAJ Works
Read on...
The place for jazz polls and surveys!
Reader Polls
Which jazz venues deserve to be on top?
Cast Your Vote Today
The Big Question
The Future of Jazz Standards: Will Contemporary Jazz Leave a Lasting Legacy?
Post Your Comment

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletters highlight our top stories, top album reviews, website news, free songs, radio & podcast shows, news, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.