A towering figure in Northern California music, Martin’s spirit continues through the musicians who shared the stage—and the mission—with him
The Sunday afternoon Powerhouse of Blues series has become a sanctuary for lovers of West Coast blues, a place where history, soul, and musicianship cross paths beneath the low lights and warm brick of Historic Folsom’s most iconic stage. But this weekend carries a deeper resonance. AsMick Martin’s Big Blues Bandreturns to Powerhouse Pub this Sunday at 3 p.m., the performance stands not only as a celebration of blues music, but as a living testament to the extraordinary legacy of the late Mick Martin—an artist, educator, broadcaster, mentor, and cultural force whose influence continues to shape the region’s musical landscape even after his passing.
For decades, Martin stood at the center of Northern California’s blues identity. His stage presence was equal parts storyteller, historian, bandleader, and virtuoso. And while he is no longer here to raise his harmonica toward the microphone in that immediately recognizable stance, the musicians who played beside him for years continue to carry the flame forward. Led today by trumpeter David Johnson, the Big Blues Band moves with the same swagger, heart, and emotional depth that Martin cultivated over a lifetime—bringing forward a show that honors both the man and the music that defined him.
Sunday’s lineup features many of the region’s most accomplished musicians: Johnson on trumpet and trombone, Danny Sandoval on saxophone, Andrew Clayton Little on guitar, Mike Caselli on organ and piano, AJ Joyce on bass, and Jim Caselli on drums. Longtime powerhouse vocalist Marcel Smith steps in on lead vocals, weaving his unmistakable soul-drenched delivery through arrangements that blend blues, R&B, jump swing, and horn-driven power. Together, they recreate the full-bodied sound Martin envisioned in his later years—a sound that grew from straight-ahead blues combos into the explosive horn-driven ensemble he called his “dream band.”
But to understand why this performance means so much to Northern California fans, one must revisit the life and journey of the man behind it all.
Mick Martin’s introduction to the blues was not casual—it was transformational. His lifelong connection to music began under the weight of devastating personal tragedy. When Martin lost his younger brother on his tenth birthday, grief carved a permanent mark on his spirit. Searching for meaning, expression, and something capable of easing the ache, he found his way to the harmonica—a small instrument with a massive emotional vocabulary. The blues, with its rawness and honesty, became both refuge and compass. It was through that doorway that Martin stepped into a world he would eventually help shape.
Over the decades that followed, Martin established himself as one of the blues genre’s most respected ambassadors. His early musical projects—bands like Joshua, Smith Martin & Shaw, Orion Express, and others—revealed a musician eager to explore the edges of blues, jazz, rock, and soul. Eventually came the projects that bore his name: Mick Martin and the Blues Rockers, and later Mick Martin’s Big Blues Band and the Dixie Drifters. In each iteration, Martin led with a deep reverence for the traditions of the blues while adding his own distinctive voice.
One of Martin’s signature compositions—his stunning instrumental interpretation of “Cristo Redentor,” the Donald Byrd classic—became a defining emblem of his artistry. His harmonica soared across each performance of the piece, mournful and triumphant in equal measure. For many fans, it was the moment in every show when time seemed to slow, and the emotional heartbeat of Martin’s musicianship rose into the room like a prayer.
His résumé reads like a tour through American blues history. In 1994, Martin stood on the storied stage of Carnegie Hall, performing alongside jazz-blues titans Jimmy Smith, Jimmy Witherspoon, Grover Washington Jr., and Mark Whitfield at the famed “Blues in Jazz” event. He recorded more than 20 albums—including four released in Europe—and performed with legendary artists such as Mick Taylor, Freddie King, Bo Diddley, Tommy Castro, Elvin Bishop, Ronnie Montrose, Jimmy Rogers, and others who helped define generations of blues expression.
Closer to home, Martin became a three-time Sacramento Area Music Awards (Sammies) winner and, in 2010, was inducted into the Sacramento Blues Society Hall of Fame. His educational dedication was equal to his musical one. As a longtime participant in Blues in the Schools, Martin traveled throughout Northern California introducing students to the heritage, cultural impact, and emotional power of blues history. His mentorship left a lasting ripple in classrooms, rehearsal rooms, and youth workshops across the region.
Today, that passion continues through theMick Martin Student Fund, created by the Sacramento Blues Society to provide instruments, instruction, and performance opportunities to emerging young musicians—an effort that perfectly embodies Martin’s lifelong desire to share what the blues had given him.
His cultural footprint extended far beyond the stage. Martin was a devoted horror and comic book fan whose creative pursuits eventually landed him in film criticism. Encouraged by the legendary TV horror host Bob Wilkins, he ventured into journalism, reviewing films for local newspapers and co-authoring theVideo Movie Guide, a staple reference for movie lovers through the VHS era. His wide-ranging interests helped shape a personality that was deeply beloved by colleagues, fans, and friends—a man whose intellect, humor, and warmth were as memorable as his music.
Of course, to countless Northern Californians, his voice was as familiar as an old record spinning in the background of daily life. Martin launchedThe K-ZAP Blues Showin 1989, introducing thousands of listeners to new artists, rare tracks, blues legends, and stories from the genre’s rich past. In 1991, he moved the program—renamedMick Martin’s Blues Party—to Capital Public Radio, where it became a weekly ritual for nearly 30 years. In 2023, in a moment steeped in poetic symmetry, he returned to a resurrected K-ZAP, where the station’s staff now remembers him as their “irreplaceable soul.”
“Mick wasn’t just a host—he was the heartbeat of the blues, a walking encyclopedia of its rhythms, riffs, and raw emotion,” K-ZAP Radio shared following his passing. “He honored us with his wisdom, warmth, and that signature harmonica howl.”
Through all of this—music, education, broadcasting, writing—Martin built not only a career, but a community. And nowhere is that community more tangible than in the musicians ofMick Martin’s Big Blues Band, who now carry forward the sound he spent decades refining.
When the band hits the Powerhouse stage this Sunday, audiences will hear arrangements shaped by Martin’s vision, performed by artists who helped bring that vision to life night after night. The horn section—Johnson and Sandoval—brings explosive punch and precision. Little’s guitar work is textured and expressive, honoring the melodic balance Martin prized. Joyce and Caselli lock into rhythm patterns that move effortlessly between blues, R&B, and funk-infused grooves, while Mike Caselli’s keyboards provide both color and drive. With Marcel Smith out front delivering powerhouse vocals rich with gospel-blues conviction, the music becomes a living tribute.
This is not a memorial performance. It is a continuation—an extension of everything Martin built, preserved, and passed on.
Sunday’s Powerhouse of Blues set promises the full, swaggering sound, the emotional intensity, and the deep musical camaraderie that defined Martin’s final bands. For longtime fans, it will feel like coming home. For new listeners, it will be an introduction to the enduring mark one man left on an entire musical ecosystem.
Mick Martin’s absence is undeniable. But his presence? It’s unmistakable—in every horn flourish, every guitar bend, every keyboard swell, every rhythm line, every story told between songs.
And on Sunday afternoon, inside a packed Powerhouse Pub, that presence will once again fill the room.
Mick Martin’s Big Blues Band performs Sunday, December 14 at 3 p.m. at Powerhouse Pub, 614 Sutter Street in Historic Folsom. Ages 21+. For more details, ticket information, and upcoming shows, visitwww.powerhousepub.com.
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