Bobby Martin was an American jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 trumpeter.

Martin played trumpet as a child with June Clark

June Clark (musician)

Algeria Junius "June" Clark was an American jazz trumpeter and cornetist....

 and Sonny Greer

Sonny Greer

Sonny Greer was an American jazz drummer, best known for his work with Duke Ellington.Greer was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, and played with Elmer Snowden's band and the Howard Theatre's orchestra in Washington, D.C. before joining Duke Ellington, who he met in 1919...

. He played with Sam Wooding

Sam Wooding

Sam Wooding was an expatriate American jazz pianist, arranger and bandleader living and performing in Europe and the United States.Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he led several big bands in the United States and abroad...

 from 1925, and played with him both in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 and on his tours of Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 through 1931. From 1932 to 1936 Martin played abroad with Willie Lewis

Willie Lewis

Willie Lewis is a rockabilly recording artist and founder of The Rock-A-Billy Record Company, a record label based in Denver, Colorado. He started the label in order to release rare and authentic rockabilly recordings, most of which were pressed on colored vinyl between 1982 and 1998...

, and formed his own band after returning home in 1937. His quartet held an extended gig at the Palace in Greenwich Village

Greenwich Village

Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...

; the other players were pianist Richard Edwards

Richard Edwards

Richard Edwards may refer to:* Richard Edwards , Commodore for the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador for 1745* Richard Edwards Richard Edwards may refer to:* Richard Edwards (Royal Navy officer) (?–1773), Commodore for the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador for 1745*...

, drummer Ural Dean, and guitarist Samuel Steede. This era of Martin's life is poorly documented, however, because during a tour of The Netherlands at the Mephisto Club in Rotterdam

Rotterdam

Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...

, his entire book of arrangements was burned in a club fire.

Martin continued to tour Europe into the 1940s, then held residencies in New York City and New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

. He opened his own club briefly in the 1940s as well. He was married to Thelma Minor, a vocalist. He left the music business in 1944.