Martin Sexton

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Martin Sexton is a musician originally from the Syracuse, New York area, and the brother of musician Colleen Sexton.

[edit] Background

Sexton migrated to Boston in 1990 where he built a following singing around Harvard Square and gradually working his way into the club scene. He won a number of Boston Music Awards as well as the National Academy of Songwriters "Artist of the Year" for his captivating live appearances and In the Journey, his 1992 collection of self-produced demo recordings that was later re-released under the same title by his boutique label, Kitchen Table Records. Sexton has released four more studio albums and one live album since then.

Sexton is committed to translating many American music forms into guitar-based folk; his influences include jazz, blues, rock, soul, gospel, doo-wop, and traditional country. His songs showcase his talents not only as a writer but also as a guitarist and vocalist.

His studio albums have become increasingly experimental. While they often feature full arrangements including horns, piano, bass, drums, and back-up singers, he has translated these arrangements on stage to just himself and his guitar without slowing the tempo or sacrificing components of the song. Like the folk-country and Delta blues singers that influence him, he uses his feet, the palm of his left hand, and his voice, to simulate drums and bass behind his vocals and guitar chords. Often Sexton will accentuate his songs by running his vocals through a guitar processor (similar to Peter Frampton), as well as a jazz trumpet-like singing style that has impressed audiences.