Martin Speake

Career

Martin Speake initially trained in classical saxophone at Trinity College of Music. He later became a member of the saxophone quartet Itchy Fingers, which performed across Europe, South America, Africa, and the United States. In 1986, the group received the Schlitz Young Jazz Musicians of the Year Award, a prize that was featured on the BBC. Two decades later, in 2018, Speake performed at the London Jazz Festival in Cadogan Hall with Charukesi, a project inspired by his interest in global rhythmic music, incorporating elements from Arabic, Indian, and Turkish traditions.

That same year, he released the album Intention on Ubuntu Music, a quartet recording with Ethan Iverson; The Jazz Mann gave it a 3.5 out of 5 rating in April 2018. Also in 2018, he gave a concert at PizzaExpress Jazz Club in London, later broadcast on BBC Radio 3. Speake holds visiting educator roles at the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. In 2024, controversy arose when an email he sent to a student criticizing Trinity's diversity, equity, and inclusion policies was forwarded.

This led to a student boycott of his classes and a petition calling for his dismissal. Speake subsequently took sick leave, and the college distanced itself from his views, which were described as undermining the African-American roots of jazz.