Barrett Martin

Barrett Martin is a Grammy-winning producer, composer, and renowned session drummer and percussionist who has played on over 100 Jazz, Blues, Rock, and World music albums. His work can be heard on albums by the Barrett Martin Group, REM, Queens Of The Stone Age, Mad Season, Screaming Trees, Walking Papers, Tuatara, Blues legend CeDell Davis, and recording sessions that range from the Peruvian Amazon, to Brazil, Cuba, and even Jerusalem. He recently won a Latin Grammy for his production and drum work on the Brazilian album “Jardim-Pomar.”

Barrett holds a masters degree in ethnomusicology and linguistics and has taught at several universities in the United States. He has written essays for The Huffington Post, and in 2014 he was awarded the ASCAP Deems Taylor/Virgil Thompson Award for excellence in writing. His first book, The Singing Earth, was released in 2017, and his solo band, The Barrett Martin Group, has made 6 studio albums to date.

"The Singing Earth" is a collection of musical adventure stories from Barrett's long career. The book chronicles his musical work in 14 musical regions, across 6 continents, over the course of 30 years. It starts with his involvement in the 1990’s Seattle music scene, and then it explores song lines and sea trails in Australia and New Zealand; trance drumming in Central America; Griot music in West Africa; musical diplomacy in Cuba; touring with a Brazilian rock band; recording shamanic music in the Peruvian Amazon; playing the blues in the Mississippi Delta; recording in the Palestinian West Bank; the power of resistance in American music; and the influence of Asia in music and culture. There is also a companion soundtrack that comes with the book as a digital download, which contains 44 songs from Barrett’s various bands, as well as field recordings and natural soundscapes from the incredible musical environments he has visited. Those who read and listen to the musical journey that Barrett describes will find themselves transported through exotic global landscapes where they learn about the connections between ecology, community, and the music that connects us to our greater humanity.

Awards

2017 Latin Grammy Award for Best Rock or Alternative Album In The Portuguese Language 2014 ASCAP Deems Taylor/Virgil Thompson Award for Excellence In Writing

Gear

Tama Drums Endorsee since 1992; Sabian Cymbals Endorsee since 1992; Pro Mark Drumsticks Endorsee since 1992

Tags