In 1996 Martignon started in earnest a dedicated solo career, performing in music festivals, theaters, clubs and colleges worldwide, releasing in 1997 a first of six albums as a leader, "Portrait in White and Black" (John Storm Roberts, Latin Jazz, , page 242) featuring Barretto and Donny McCaslin. Two later albums, "Refugee" (2007) and "Second Chance" (2010) were each nominated for a Grammy Award. "The Big Band Theory", a big band-plus-strings formatted album with all arrangements and six compositions written by Martignon, was listed as one of Downbeat Magazine’s 'Best Albums of 2016'. In it Martignon displays his Jazz prowess alongside a Classical perspective in orchestration, combining original strings with modern brass and woodwind harmonies and Afro Cuban rhythmics in Bach's Aria "Erbarme dich", from the St Matheus Passion.