Parev dez - Hello!
I am a concert and jazz pianist, producer, composer, and the registered trademark holder of JAZZICAL, a marriage of classical and jazz. I am also an ABC (Armenian By Choice)
ABOUT JOEL
Joel A. Martin is the creator and registered trademark owner of Jazzical. He is an international renowned and award winning classical and jazz pianist, producer, composer, and arranger who has collaborated with, and/or written music for, Grammy® Award-winners Alan Menken (Disney composer), Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas, Brooklyn Youth Chorus, among many others. At age 17 Joel was the youngest and the first African-American pianist to compete in the 1985 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (the Olympics of classical piano). For the last 13 years he toured as pianist/arranger with 5x Grammy-winning MET Opera legend soprano Kathleen Battle.
On December 23, 2024, Joel’s original Christmas song “Christmas Will Soon Be Here” premiered on ABC TV’s “Live with Kelly and Mark” for 3 million viewers. The song was performed by the Grammy Award Winning Brooklyn Youth Chorus with Joel at the piano. As a result, a three-year licensing deal was signed for this song.
With all that he has done, his greatest achievement was discovering and creating two Jazzical Komitas albums, a journey of music celebrating Komitas and Armenia’s cultural heritage in jazz and classical for the 21st century and beyond!
Since its debut in Dec. 2019 at St Vartan Armenian Cathedral in NYC, Jazzical Komitas concerts have been presented at Komitas Chamber Music Hall in Yerevan, Orion Summit 2022 at Matenadaran (Yerevan), Little Island Concert Series in NYC, Clayton Piano Festival (Raleigh NC), Mezzo Jazz Club (Yerevan), Komitas Chamber Music Hall (Yerevan), Synergy Yerevan, San Francisco and Los Angeles, and Dvin Music Hall’s One and Only Theater (presented by the Tovmasyan Foundation with musical collaboration with the Armenia State Symphony Orchestra (ARM Symphony).
In the last few months, Joel has been on the roll.
On 4/21 the City of Glendale (LA, CA) brought Jazzical Komitas as the highlight of the Armenian Genocide Commemorations at the Alex Theater.
That appearance brought Joel back to the Alex Theater on 6/14 as the headliner musical act for the Alex 100 Anniversary Gala.
Because of that concert Joel will premiere a full scale Jazzical Komitas concert at the Alex Theater with his trio and special guest artist jazz singer Tamara Lalayan.
A world tour and documentary are planned for Jazzical Komitas in 2026.
In Joel’s words, “I believe in the music of Komitas with all my heart. If I, a non-Armenian with no affiliation to Armenia, can be entranced and changed for the better because of the music of Komitas and the Armenia experience, then there are millions more who need to bear witness to the uniqueness of the music, art and culture of Armenia.”
Joel resides in Norwalk CT with his wife of 22 years and two teenage daughters.
