Louis "Sabu" Martinez (July 14, 1930 – January 13, 1979) was an American
conguero of Puerto Rican descent. A prominent player in the
Cubop movement, Martinez appeared on many important recordings and live performances during that period. Martinez also recorded several
Latin jazz albums, now recognized as classics of the genre.[1]
Martinez first recorded with
Art Blakey in 1953, and contributed to his Orgy in Rhythm and Holiday for Skins projects from 1957 to 1958. Martinez became a
bandleader in 1957, recording his debut album, Palo Congo, for the
Blue Note label. He followed it up with releases on Vik and
Alegre Records. Martinez moved to
Sweden in 1967 and recorded with the
Francy Boland-
Kenny Clarke big band, releasing two albums. Subsequently, he led the group Burnt Sugar, which was active into the mid 1970s. On January 13, 1979, he died in Sweden at the age of 48 from a gastric ulcer.[2]