Shaun Martin

Texas keyboardist Shaun Martin was a highly respected solo performer and sideman whose adept jazz-trained chops saw him working in a variety of styles from instrumental jazz to gospel, hip-hop, and R&B. Emerging in the '90s, Martin initially built his reputation as session player, working with Kirk Franklin on hit albums like 1997's God's Property and 2007's The Fight of My Life. Beginning in 2010, he was a regular member of Snarky Puppy, appearing on Grammy Award-winning albums like 2014's Family Dinner, Vol. 1 and 2017's Culcha Vulcha. In 2015, Martin released his debut solo album, the largely instrumental, jazz-infused 7 Summers. Two more solo albums, 2018 Focus and 2020's Three-O, were released before his death in 2024.