Jonathan Martinez | SoultoneCymbals.com

Jonathan Martinez

Jonathan Martinez

Jonathan Martinez (b.1987) born in Los Angeles, California. Started having a passion for music at a young age of just a year old, raised in Church coming from a Gospel background and Family. Church has been an important place for Jonathan due to that it was the only place where he was exposed to Music and Drums. The only place where a drum set was available for him was in Church. He would walk up to the drums since he started walking. Jonathan would also play with his toy drum sets he would get as gifts for his Birthday at the age of just 3 years old with a deep desire to learn and be a great drummer someday. At age 8 in 1996 is when Jonathan Originally started playing drums in his local church playing old school gospel hymns and other rhythmic styles grasping all he could from church, church conventions, and from other fellow drummers playing during that time in church. The turning point came when at age 13 in 2001 he finally received the long awaited gift: his own drum set brought as a gift from his Dad. He immediately set up the drum set and started playing countless hours in his room after school listening to great drummers. Many things changed and revelation came when listening to Sensational drummers such as: Dave Weckl, and Mexican Great Alvaro Lopez (Luis Miguel, Torre Fuerte, and Abraham Laboriel). He started learning. He overcame the odds of not having a private drum instructor. So he started playing with other musicians in church grasping all he could and studying drum videos and books recommended by local drum shop staff. He also started to learn more by playing with (latin, cumbia, funk, rock, and regional Mexican) musicians gaining more experience. Then in 2003 he played with soft rock band Altogether Lovely from Bakersfield opening for other great names such as Number one gun and others and decided to leave in 2005. Then in 2005 senior year in high school Jonathan decided to join East Bakersfield college jazz band under direction of Anthony Moreno earning main chair as drummer. Then in 2006 he started college and joined Bakersfield College Jazz band under professor and Jazz trumpeter Kris Tiner in which Jonathan as entry drummer gained main position in ensemble as drummer. He then through jazz band got to perform with Jazz trumpeter Paul Tynan, and also got the privilege to play with multi-instrumentalist and Jazz Woodwinds player from Los Angeles/Cal Arts Vinny Golia. He then got a lesson and hooked-up with New York Jazz drummer Harris Eisenstadt, and also a couple lessons with local jazz drummer Zanne Zarrow gaining more knowledge in reading music and playing jazz. In 2007 he then joined keyboardist Jay Smith in Jazz group The Modern Jazz Trio playing with many jazz musicians till 2011. Decided to change direction being a Freelance drummer playing with Kris Tiner and Bakersfield Jazz Saxophonist Paul Perez and other local Jazz musicians. Also got to attend masterclass with Jazz drummer from Seattle Paul Kikuchi. He got to jam and attend masterclass with Jason Parker quartet and has also jammed with Jazz Pianist Dennis Hamm and the late great Jazz Sax Zane Musa. Jonathan resides in Bakersfield, CA and from 2011 to present has been a freelance drummer playing for different church events and gigs, and is currently giving lessons as drum instructor, and keeps enduring in the music industry as drummer, and experienced musician playing in different music scenes and has had breakthrough of overcoming odds of being self-taught to become the drummer he is today.

My Soultone Set: 

14" Gospel Crash
16" Gospel Crash
20" Custom Brilliant Ride
14" Custom Brilliant Hi Hats