Hailing from Los Angeles, Marlon Martinez is a versatile bassist and composer who has toured with a diverse range of artists, notably Stewart Copeland, Mike Garson, Quatuor Ebène and Wild Up. Martinez is the protégé of jazz bassist Stanley Clarke, a classical graduate of the Colburn Conservatory of Music, and he studied with legendary jazz bassist Ron Carter in New York City. Martinez is the artistic director and composer of his LA big band, Marlonius Jazz Orchestra. Martinez’s symphonic orchestral experience includes Verbier Festival Orchestra, New West Symphony, and San Diego Symphony.

Dedicated to celebrating the legacy of jazz composer Billy Strayhorn, Martinez created Ever Up And Onward: A Tribute To Billy Strayhorn in 2022, an eight-episode educational video series presented by the Colburn School that explores the life and music of Billy Strayhorn. Martinez was a guest speaker at the Library of Congress in June 2023, as an authority on Billy Strayhorn at the Salute To Strayhorn. During his residency at the Colburn School as an Amplify Series artist, Martinez recorded and revived known and lesser known Strayhorn compositions with Marlonius Jazz Orchestra. The album, Marlonius | Strayhorn, Vol. 1, will be released in 2025. Martinez's 2017 debut album Yours Truly is available worldwide, with reviews by All About Jazz and L.A. Jazz Scene.