Martin was born in St. Louis, Missouri on August 17, 1970. He won Second Place at the 1993 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition.

Martin is musical director and pianist for Dianne Reeves and arranged and played music for her Grammy Award-winning soundtrack to the motion picture Good Night, and Good Luck. He also appeared in the film.

In September 2008 he was appointed lecturer in jazz studies at the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University. He has also been on the music faculty at Tulane University, the University of New Orleans and New Orleans Center for Creative Arts.