Hirth Martinez

I picked up the guitar
I played for you
a melody
so true
it told you things
you never knew
I knew.
it was old, it was new,
it was from me to you
a love piece to honor
your presence in my life
from my soul to your soul
you phoned as the last chord
rung into the universe
and time started.

Hirth Martinez ©2007

I am told I was born singing, dancing, laughing into a musical family of singers, dancers, painters, trumpet players, saxophone players, piano, guitar, bass, and drums. My parents gave me piano lessons at around age three. I also studied trumpet, and at the age of ten I started guitar lessons and began writing songs. My first song was called, "Little Stranger" about little men from outer space - three chords. One of my uncles who played jazz guitar gave me some lessons. I then signed up for guitar lessons with Rosemary Granack with whom I studied for around seven years. My songwriting and guitar playing continued to get better. I started my own band and I played and sang my own songs. I also played a lot of guitar gigs with others. Recording and concerts followed. My songs were beginning to be covered. I eventually played with many famous musicians and singers such as Ray Charles, Red Norvo, Ray Bolger, Dinah Shore, etc.

After I'd been writing for a lot of years, my writing included songs, poetry, prose, and special material for Las Vegas acts, openers, and themes with words and music. My songs were then brought to the attention of Bob Dylan by Norman Harris. Bob Dylan sent me to meet Robbie Robertson who wound up producing my first major label (Warner Bros.) recording, "Hirth from Earth." Bam! I was on the map. I was in Rolling Stone and many other magazines and so on. Now my songs are regularly covered by artists all over the world. Now one of the most important things are my influences - who I listen to and who I read - for we truly are what we eat . . .

Poetry and songwriters: Johnny Mercer, George & Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Carlos Jobim, Leonard Cohen, Woody Guthrie, George Moustaki, Hoagy Carmichael, Bobby Charles, Bob Dorough, Willie Nelson, Harry Nilsson, Pete Seeger, Dorothy Fields, Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, Chuck Berry, Robbie Robertson, Jaques Brell, Tom Paxton, Peggy Lee, Rod McKuen, Hank Williams, Ray Davies, Fran Landesman, Enrique Silberg, and so on. Enough of that!

Guitarists and other musicians: Joe Pass, Charlie Parker "Bird," Dizzy, Stan Getz, Johnny Smith, Al Hendrickson, Wes Montgomery, Tal Farlow, Jimmy Bryant, Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Joao Gilberto, Lennnie Tristano, Ahamad Jamal, Barney Kessel, Doc Watson, Al Viola, Howard Roberts, Diango, Sal Salvador, Jimmy Raney, Mundell Lowe, Sonny Sharrock, Buddy Merrill, Neal le Vang, Duane Eddy, Herb Ellis, George Van Eps, Dick Garcia, Chet Atkins. I guess you get the drift.

Poets and Novelists: Ginsberg, Kerouac, Patchen, Pound, Bukowski, Poe, Gertrude Stein, Ferlinghetti, Brautigen, Dylan Thomas, Paramahansa Yogananda, Burroughs, Corso, Langdon Hughes, Dorothy Parker, etc, etc. You get the message.

Painters: Diego Rivera, Frida Kohlo, Jackson Pollock, Picasso, Salvador Dali, Miro, Chagall, Van Gogh. You get the picture. Enough already.

These days, I write songs when they come to me. I write poetry everyday. I write prose. I draw pictures. I paint pictures. I do guitar gigs, studio and live. I do concerts of my songs when I'm asked to. I read and listen and I play what I call spontaneous composition with other cats who like to play it too. I have done many recordings of "the music" - spontaneous compostion" with bass player and dear friend, Ravi Knypstra - which will be available soon. I am currently readying a poetry book and a new solo recording of new songs and instrumental music, hopefully available this year, 2007. I still dream a lot, and I sleep as much as I can, especially when I'm writing songs. Well, enough about me.