Martin McNeill is an old-school blues singer and guitarist, sometimes cited as one of the UK’s top slide players.

He gigs as a solo act and in duo, trio and full band format.

He was a finalist in the 2024 UK Blues Awards and a double nominee in the 2025 awards.

Martin hosts sessions every Wednesday at the Green Bottle jazz and blues bar, where he plays with guests, including some of the biggest names on the blues scene. It’s upstairs at the Greedy Breakfast, Rectory Grove, Leigh-on-Sea. Details here: https://bottleneck-blues.com/leigh-blues-nights/

He has received high praise for his live performances, recordings and online livestreams. Radio presenter and music promoter Stephen Foster calls him “one of the country’s finest bottleneck blues guitarists.”

Martin is steeped in vintage blues, drawing on slide guitar masters Fred McDowell, Tampa Red, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Elmore James, Earl Hooker and Ry Cooder. But it’s not all straight blues; his sets often include reworkings of classic soul hits from the likes of Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke and Ray Charles.

As well as performing and recording as a solo act, Martin plays in duo, trio and full band formats. His long-running Bottleneck Blues band often features West Weston on harmonica or Tim Huskisson on piano. The regular rhythm section is JJ Zarbo on upright bass and Roy Webber on drums.

Martin gained an international following though online sessions. The livestreams started as weekly performances during the pandemic and are now once a month from his Facebook page, usually on the last Thursday of the month.

Martin was a finalist in the 2024 UK Blues Awards after being shortlisted in the top five acoustic acts. He was nominated in the acoustic and traditional categories in the 2025 awards. He was also nominated in the acoustic category in the 2023 awards and for record of the year in 2020.

He won instrumentalist of the year in the 2022 GSMC awards, organised by music promoter Graham Steel to recognise grassroots music acts. He was shortlisted again in 2023.

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