Martin Speake came into the world in 1958 in Barnet, England, growing up amid a constant backdrop of musical sounds. Rock and pop initially captured his attention, yet after departing school at sixteen he acquired an alto saxophone upon hearing an Ornette Coleman album, locking in his path as a jazz horn player. From 1977 to 1981 he trained in classical saxophone at Southgate Technical College and Trinity College of Music, then launched into gigs with various players, above all the saxophone quartet Itchy Fingers, whose far-reaching tours took them across America, South America, and Africa. In 1988 he exited Itchy Fingers to devote himself to personal work, much of it presented through the Martin Speake Group. Duo partnerships with Phil Lee, Nikki Iles, Dharambir Singh, and additional musicians also formed part of his activity, alongside his roles in the Fever Pitch, Mind and Time, and Eternal Triangle groups. His extensive discography features Tan T'ien (1996), Trust (1998), Journey (2004), and Change of Heart, issued in 2006 on ECM Records.
