MARTY ELKINS

Marty Elkins was born in Jersey City, New Jersey.  As a child she listened mostly to the soul stations in New York, and the late night R&B shows like Jocko’s Rocket Ship.  She left there for college in Boston, and while in college was given a copy of Ella Fitzgerald and Ellis Larkins.  She was also exposed to Charlie Parker, Al Cohn and Zoot Sims, and Louis Jordan, but the life changing day was when she found a copy of Billie Holiday’s “Lady in Satin” in a local Woolworth bin in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Literally holing up in her room with this recording, and a Bessie Smith record she acquired, she became devoted to jazz and began listening to it exclusively.  She had the good fortune to meet musicians in that area who played jazz such as Herb Pomeroy, Ray Santisi, Jimmy Mosher, and Dave McKenna among read more...