‘He was thoughtful’: Mick Martin, prominent Sacramento bluesman, dead at 76

Mick Martin, a prominent Sacramento bluesman who hosted a radio show and published movie reviews, died suddenly Sunday afternoon at age 76.

He was known for his signature harmonica howl, according to the radio station on which he hosted Mick Martin’s Blues Party from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, KZAP or 93.3FM. He also wrote a “fat book” of movie recommendations in Blockbuster’s heyday so people would know what to rent, according to his childhood friend and longtime collaborator Dennis Newhall.

“Mick from the beginning was a big personality,” Newhall said. “You see him and you remember him.”

Newhall was 8 and Martin was 10 when they met. Newhall recalled in an interview with ABC10 Martin’s interest in comic books and music coming out of England.

“I got to know him as I got older,” he said. “Imagine two kids standing at a dance talking about a record by — well, I won’t say because you probably don’t even know who they are.”

Martin started playing music in high school and never stopped, according to Newhall. He started the Blues Rockers about 40 years ago and toured Italy, Belgium and England. At one point in his career, Martin played harmonica at Carnegie Hall alongside organist Jimmy Smith.

“He could play the harmonica to make it worth it for big artists to hire him,” Newhall said.

‘He was thoughtful’

Newhall said Martin was an ambassador for the blues and mentored students on the harmonica — what he called “the blues harp.” The late musician was also always writing and playing music.

“He was funny. He was smart. He was thoughtful,” Newhall said. “He’s just a terrific guy.”

Martin’s weekly blues radio show started at KZAP then moved to CapRadio in 1991. CapRadio let him go around August 2023; he missed only a week and started the show again at a relaunched KZAP, according to Newhall.

“Mick wasn't just a host—he was the heartbeat of the blues, a walking encyclopedia of its rhythms, riffs, and raw emotion,” KZAP wrote in a post on Facebook remembering Martin.

Newhall, also a KZAP host, for a long time spun records on air while Martin wrote about the music, he said. Martin wrote movie reviews for the now-defunct Sacramento Union too, he said.

Martin always liked to do a birthday concert, and he reportedly held one last month for his birthday despite the actual date falling in May; Newhall said that show could have very well been his last.

Newhall said he will not “just plug something in” to Martin’s blues slot on Saturday mornings. If there is an appetite for a blues show without Mick Martin, that could eventually take its place.

Services for Martin will reportedly be a very quiet, family affair.

The Torch Club and the Sacramento Blues Society will host a casual gathering from 4-8 p.m. Wednesday at 904 15th St. to honor Martin, according to Newhall, though there will probably be some other events for Martin surrounding the music.