The son of dancers, Martin & Helen Baespflug started him down the music path at the young age of 3 with classical piano lessons. By age 8 Martin was training in piano, French horn and ballet privately at both University of Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran University. This rigorous training continued through his teens. From there it was music and entertaining for life. Martin has been a career musician since he was 17, playing locally, nationally and internationally; whether it be fronting a hometown band, laying it out on the keys solo or leading a 12 piece orchestra, he’ll be sure to entertain!
Martin Ross
Take a look! https://vimeo.com/123785574 (promo video) Life’s Work – Music & Entertainment
Longtime Northwest Entertainer-Singer-Songwriter-Pianist Martin Ross performed from the late 80's to the early 00's, as the House Piano Man at the iconic "Cloud Room," in The Camlin Hotel, a downtown Seattle Landmark. The Cloud Room closed its doors and Martin became the resident entertainer at Daniel's Broiler in Lake Union, Seattle, & Bellevue, WA. After Daniel’s, Martin worked for 3 years internationally, touring between Dubai, Seoul, British Virgin Islands and Barbados. Today you will find him rockin’ the house at the Riviera Palm Springs!
A Multifaceted Music Career
His development in the field of music and entertainment has led him around the world as a solo act and as the leader of several groups, touring such places as the U.K., Hong Kong, Thailand, the Caribbean, Norway and the better part of the US and Canada.
During the 80's Martin collaborated with & formed the band "Shots" (featuring Joe Shikany on guitar) as lead singer, where he experienced a short tenure with Atlantic Records, releasing an MTV video.

A multifaceted music career cont.
Musical Collaboration
Martin has had the privilege of sharing the stage (as an opener, musician or lead singer) with the likes of:
Paul Revere & The Raiders, James Brown Band, Bonnie Raitt, Edgar Winter, The Beach Boys, The Temptations, Sha Na Na, The Spinners, Peter Noon, Gary Lewis, Gary Puckett, Little Richard, Clint Black, LeAnn Rimes, & Dick Clark, to name a few.
Martin Ross
206-779-0826
martinrossb@gmail.com
3573 Penny Lane
Palm Springs, CA 92262
Promo Video -
https://vimeo.com/123785574
In the late 90's and into the 2000's Martin headed up several of his own bands ("Martin Ross Orchestra", "Martin Ross Trio", "Martin Ross Group"). With these he billed shows in the US and internationally.
All of the Martin Ross “bands” are based out of Seattle, Washington. Whether its bringing you dance hits of the 60's, soul hits of the 70's and 80's, and current Top 40 hits of today, the swooning sounds of five lead vocalists or plenty of Latin percussion and a live horn section, there’s a Martin Ross band that'll win over every audience they meet.

Newsworthy!
Heart Song
Once upon a time in the Cloud Room.
By Eric Scigliano:
PEOPLE USED TO GO LOOKING for surprises at the Cloud Room, the definitive penthouse bar in a city that has many penthouses but too few bars in them, and the town’s best spot for star-spotting. The Cloud Room topped the Camlin Hotel, the tattered but fearless grande dame that stood kitty-corner from the Paramount Theatre. Or rather, stands, but in sadly altered form; five years ago a time-share resort chain bought the Camlin, kicked out the general public, and converted the Cloud Room into four penthouse suites. Any time-sharers who stay in those suites may get some glamorous ghostly company. The Cloud Room served as a sort of off-premises green room and after-show club for the Paramount, which made it a magnet for other showbiz types as well. Sinatra and Dino, Dizzy and Miles, Elvis Presley and Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt and John Lee Hooker all stopped by, as did innumerable other living legends and lesser lights. Some of them would sidle up to the piano pit where Martin Ross, a classic piano man, played every cornball standard from “Melancholy Baby” to, well, “Piano Man.” A false but telling rumor also had it that Michelle Pfeiffer left scorch marks when she writhed and cooed across that same piano in The Fabulous Baker Boys. The other Elvis (Costello) entertained a private party (his own) there.
I never spied these or any other glitterati hanging out at the Cloud Room. Then again, I never looked for them. I just thought it was a nice place to have a drink. But thunderbolts strike when you least expect them. Early one evening, a few years before its closing, when the bar was still half-empty, Ross began tapping out a tune that was utterly familiar though hardly part of the standard piano-man repertoire. Daa-daa-da-da-da- daa-da-da-daa, it wound through the clinking glasses and cocktail chatter, at once stately, languid, and melancholy: J. S. Bach’s Air on the G String, better known to most of us as the opening bars of Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale.”
And then the voice began: “We skipped the light fandango, turned cartwheels ’cross the room....” The glasses and the chatter fell silent. The voice was whispery, raspy, keening, so full of pain and longing it threatened to explode and take the room with it. With all respect to Gary Brooker’s fine original rendition, this voice owned that song for the moment. And for that moment Keith Reid’s cryptic lyrics—“One of 16 vestal virgins who were leaving for the coast, and although my eyes were open they might have just as well’ve been closed”—seemed to make perfect sense.
It sounded like Janis Joplin channeling Billie Holiday, channeled by...whom? Someone who was here to sing, not to be seen. A shapeless white-shirted form—a white shade—topped by a black mop hunched beside Ross, back to the room, so low she nearly melted under the piano. She finished the song but did not turn. The whole room sat hushed, save for a few gasps. “Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Ann Wilson,” Ross said quietly.
I was never a big Heart fan, but you didn’t need to buy their records to get sated on “Barracuda,” “Crazy on You,” “The Dog and Butterfly”; for a few years in the late ’70s, just before I moved to Seattle, you couldn’t escape them if you tried. I had to grudgingly admire the Wilson sisters’ baroque mix of refinement and raw intensity, their daring to beat the big-hair boy bands at their own game. Yeah, Nancy swung a mean ax, and Ann had a heckuva voice. But that voice never got to me, until that evening.
So thank you, Cloud Room, for lasting as long as you did. And thank you, Miss Ann Wilson, for lasting still, and sneaking up to shake our unsuspecting hearts.

Landmark Camlin Hotel to close By Stuart Eskenazi
Seattle Times staff reporter
At an elevated restaurant-lounge once considered Seattle's own slice of heaven, a group of fly fishermen who have met there for lunch every Wednesday since 1968 take the bait.
What do they think about rumors that the historic Camlin Hotel and its 11th-story Cloud Room will be turned into a private vacation resort?
"You mean what do I think about them ruining it?" 78-year-old Perry Barth asked. The rumors are true. Another Seattle institution is going -bye.
Months of speculation ended yesterday when Trendwest Resorts of Redmond announced it had purchased the landmark hotel from Camlin LLC for an undisclosed price. Trendwest plans to convert the hotel's rooms into 100 fully furnished suites, including four top-floor penthouses where the Cloud Room now dwells.
The Camlin thus will become the private province of approximately 181,000 households — including 39,000 from Washington state — that have spent a minimum $9,300 to be a member of Trendwest's vacation club, WorldMark.
"So this is progress," lamented Don Uppendahl, 67, a regular attendee of the fishermen's social. "I don't mind progress. It's change I don't like."
A closing date has not been announced, but Sonia Tolbert, Trendwest's public-relations manager, said her company hopes to reopen the restored Camlin — which will retain its name — early next summer.
The hotel's 85 employees — many of whom have been looking for new jobs — had a good idea the end was near. The hotel has been taking reservations only through early August.
Gallows humor has been a coping mechanism. The Cloud Room's chef-special omelet on Sunday morning was the S.O.S. (sausage, onion and Swiss).
But the distress call turned out to be too little, too late for a hangout that has attracted a mix of neighborhood regulars, downtown workers, conventioneers, young professionals, lounge lizards, bachelorette partygoers and older people who have fond memories of the place.
"Most hotel bars only bring in hotel guests," bartender John Baker said. "The Cloud Room brings in everybody."
The fly fishermen are one of a handful of social groups that use the Cloud Room as their headquarters. Gordy Young, elder statesman at age 92, said the group hosted baseball great Ted Williams and hotel magnate Charles Ritz, both avid fly fishermen, at Camlin lunches in the past.
The Camlin, on Ninth Avenue between Pine Street and Olive Way, opened in 1926 as a residential hotel. The Cloud Room debuted as a lounge and restaurant in 1949.

"The Cloud Room was once the room in Seattle," Barth said. "There's a long tradition here of good food and good fun."
Ron Dion, 65, treated his date to dinner at the Cloud Room before his O'Dea High School prom in 1955.
"When I was in high school, I was kind of intimidated by this place because it was so tall," said Dion, a member of the fishermen's group. "It was quite the big deal for a high-school senior like me to come up to a place like this that had such a tremendous view. We could see the water back then."
The Camlin's clear-shot view of Elliott Bay became blocked over the years by downtown development. The biggest obstruction is Bell Plaza, which went up across Eighth Avenue in the mid-1970s.
As the views from the Cloud Room disappeared, so did its reputation as one of Seattle's most sophisticated nightspots. The Cloud Room's lack of TLC over the years turned the lounge into a divey piano bar, its threadbare teal-and-pink floral carpet suggesting better days.
Management played the room's retro charm to the hilt.
On Sunday morning, the recorded music of Donovan, Chicago, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Sly & the Family Stone played through restaurant loudspeakers.
"None of us have any illusions about the Camlin," said Deanna Gimmi, the Camlin's controller. "We understand its charms but also understand that the place needs a lot of work."
The Cloud Room, bathed in dark-stained wood walls, actually is four distinct rooms and an open-air patio, with a fountain featuring a boy urinating.
The Camlin's proximity to the Paramount Theatre has given it a symbiotic relationship with the entertainment industry. Tom Hanks, Miles Davis, Bootsy Collins, Jackie Mason, Elvis Costello and Dave Grohl have all either stayed at the Camlin or downed a few at the Cloud Room, employees said.
The hotel often houses road crews and cast members from shows passing through town. Whenever the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, rolled into town, his band would stay at the hotel and jam the night away at the piano bar with Martin Ross, who has entertained there the past 14 years.
Business at the hotel — and the Cloud Room's crowd — fluctuated with who was appearing across the street at the Paramount.
When heavy-metal band Slayer played there last fall, an exuberant fan managed to climb on the neon "Camlin" sign and yell "Slayer rules!" Baker said.
The Camlin is a city landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Any alterations to the building's terra-cotta facade, lobby, sign and rooftop architectural elements must be approved by the city, but the city has no authority over how the building may be used.
Tolbert said Trendwest considered keeping the top floor a public space but the challenges of mixing private and public use were too significant to overcome.

Trendwest's 48 WorldMark properties in the U.S., British Columbia, Mexico and Fiji are almost all for the express use of its vacation-club members and their guests, she said.
"We have the utmost respect for the history of the Cloud Room and the affinity that Seattle has for it," Tolbert said. "We knew it was a sensitive issue and we really did try to include it within our plan."
Young said the fishermen have not decided where to move their weekly gathering, only that the lunches will continue. Every Wednesday. At noon.
Some things never change.
It's a really nice place...
The Schwartz Brothers restaurants are classic Seattle institutions of high end service excellence, atmosphere and food. While rather expensive places to go, they are like getting a really exquisite pair of $200 Italian leather shoes. You pay for the quality of the experience. As single Gen-Xer’s we go for the generous wine pours served in crystal stemware and to flirt with well-dressed businessmen who apparently go there to eat dinner alone when working late. The crowd in general is a little on the older side, but there will be the brave, younger people that enter for the experience of a lifetime if they are willing or able to pay for it. Draws include a quite talented pianist named Martin Ross who plays there regularly. I first heard his six months ago, not realizing that he plays there frequently. Unlike a lot of pianists, who tend to be small and delicate, Martin is a big, sturdy guy with a powerful voice with a warm intonation. He plays for all he’s worth on a sleek, black grand piano that could only be a Steinway for its resonance. He’s a local act that should be much more famous than he is due to his unquestionable talent, looks and charisma. General Manager (GM) Ira Meunch shows great leadership, runs a tight ship, but remains warm and gregarious. If someone wants to take me on a date, let’s please go there!

PARK HYATT SEOUL-
July 7, 2011
To whom it may concern:
PHILIPPE ZUBER
General A1anager
995-14 Daechi 3-dong, Gangnam-gu,
Seoul 135-502, Korea
TELEPHONE +82 2 2016 1234
ROOM RESERVATIONS +82 2 2016 rroo FACSIMILE +82 2 2016 1200
This is to certify that Mr. Martin Ross is employed at Park Hyatt Seoul as a vocalist and pianist in The Timber House, ajazz bar in the hotel from December 2010 to July 2011.
Park Hyatt Seoul is located into Seoul's prime location in the central business district of Gangnam, offering the largest guest rooms in the city with our very residential style decor, modern facilities. Capitalized on excellent reputations for quality and personal service, our product is unmatched in the market. Fine dining of Cornerstone, The Timber House and The Lounge epitomizes the inspirational culinary prowess of exciting, international Seoul. Park Club offers stunning views of Seoul from every aspect, with good workout equipment and an extensive selection of spa treatments that are uncommon in the Seoul market. Park Hyatt Seoul also has an excellent selection of stylish and intimate function rooms, ideal for any high quality meetings or events.
Park Hyatt Seoul is recognized as the Best Hotel in South Korea and The Timber House is amongst the most unique luxury bars in the City.
During his tenure with us, Mr. Ross has consistently delivered high standard of musical performance and I regard him with respect. He is very well appreciated and recognized by the guests and we have received numerous positive comments from guests with regards to his musical exhibition. We did experience for the first time one "long terms" engagement and thanks to Mr. Ross for his excellent performance which had impacted overall financial performance of the Timberhouse and the hotel reached higher level of revenue since the hotel opening.
In addition to his excellent artistic talent, he behaves himself in a good manner and remains professional at all times. He has been always sincere in terms of relations with the guests as well as with the staff at the Hotel. Mr. Ross is very committed and dedicated to his work, always diligent and responsible.
Basing it from the successful performance of Mr. Ross at Park Hyatt Seoul, I support his application without reservation. If any further information is required, I would be more than happy to assist.
Sincerely,
Philippe Zuber General Manager

Here is the testimonial:
Martin Ross is one of our oldest and dearest friends. We met him in 1996 when he was playing at the Edgewater. My husband and I were dating and made a point to see Martin at least once a week. We fell in love listening to Martin. We were both blown away with his talent. We took every friend we had to see him and we all agreed that "Martin was the best piano man we had ever seen". The consensus was no one could believe he was never discovered. Martin has this amazing talent of playing all types of music from R&B Classics which was our love to opera (My favorite are his songs from Phantom of the Opera).
In 1998, Martin performed at our wedding with his entire band. Martin even learned special songs for us and played them better than even the original artist. Martin and his band have performed for us several times
for our personal and my company events. We took him to Vegas three to four times to play in Las Vegas at a national conference reception.
Every year we had requests for Martin's return. He has a big fan base among my clients. Many of them have also booked him for their own events and weddings.
Over the years we watched Martin perform at the Cloud Room, Scarlet Tree and Belltown Billiards. We saw famous people like James Brown's band sit in with Martin not once but several times. Anyone that sees him
once always returns to see him even those from out of town. This is the kind of affect he has on people. We continue to remain in awe of his talent. His performances reflect the heart and soul of a true performer and artist. We feel honored to have met Martin and will always have a special place in our heart for him.
Valerie Kolitiris
VP - National Accounts
First American Title Insurance (206) 409-4669