Martinale’s music development followed two parallel paths: the cultivated European music and jazz improvisation. He graduated in Classical Music at the Conservatorio “G.Verdi” in Turin and Jazz Music at Conservatorio “G. Verdi” in Milan training with Italian jazz pianists Enrico Pieranunzi, Franco D’Andrea and Mario Rusca.

He has collaborated with musicians such as Flavio Boltro, Gianni Basso, Emanuele Cisi, Maria Pia De Vito, Amanda Carr, Anne Ducros, Tom Kirkpatrick, Felice Reggio, Fabrizio Bosso, Tino Tracanna and Marco Tamburini.

Martinale was a member of the “Trane’s Memory” Quartet led by saxophonist Alfredo Ponissi.

He played at the Terrasa Jazz Festival (Barcelona), at Ivrea Eurojazz Festival (Italy) with Trane’s Memory in 1996, with Tom Kirkpatrick in 1997 and with the Boston singer Amanda Carr in 1998.

Has played at the 1998 edition of the JVC Newport Jazz Festival in Turin with “Tenor Conclave” and with the Jazz Mobile Saxophone Ensemble at the 2000 edition,at "Linguaggi Jazz" in Turin with Jazzinaria and Fabrizio Bosso in 2002. Has played at Terni in Jazz Fest#5 in 2005, at the Tel Aviv International Jazz Festival and with Gianni Coscia at the Chieti Festival in 2006.

He's a member of Musica Urgente Collective.

He is always busy composing and working on new arrangements as proved by the originals from the albums “Eyes and Stripes” and “Urka” in quartet with Fabrizio Bosso, Nicola Muresu, Alessandro Minetto, and the arrangements of old Italian songs recorded with the Jazzinaria Quartet.

He leads a trio with the New Yorker bass player Drew Gress with Paolo Franciscone on drums.

He won the "Città di Baronissi" competition twice: in '96 with "Trane's Memory" and in '99 with his Jazzinaria Quartet.

In 2001 he was ranked in at 4th place in the "Best New Talent" category as part of the Top Jazz referendum organized by the magazine "Musica Jazz". His name appeared also in the 2000 rank list for the same competition.

He has been recently invited to the Tel Aviv Jazz Festival for two concerts: one of them a “Tribute to Bill Evans” as a special production for the festival.

Discography:

as a leader:

Luigi Martinale Quartet with Fabrizio Bosso: "Eyes and Stripes" (DDQ Soul Note – 2000)

Luigi Martinale Trio: "Sweet Marta" with Drew Gress and Paolo Franciscone (DDQ Soul Note – 2001)

Luigi Martinale Quartet with Fabrizio Bosso: "Urka" (DDQ Soul Note – 2003)

Luigi Martinale Standard Quartet: “Stella” (DDQ Soul Note – 2004)

Luigi Martinale Trio: “Simple Memory” (GTPro - 2004) just for Japanese market

Luigi Martinale Trio: " Caruso "(GTPro – 2006) just for Japanese market

with Jazzinaria:

“Grazie dei Fior” (Splasc(h) Records, 1998)

“Camminando” with Emanuele Cisi: (Splasc(h) Records – 2000)

“Dipinto di Blu” with Architorti, F. Bosso, E. Cisi:(Splasc(H) Records -2004)

collaborations:
Gianpaolo Petrini: "Professione Batterista" (High Tide-1993)
Alfredo Ponissi & Trane's Memory: "A Love Supreme" (JMR-1995)
Amanda Carr Quartet: "Live in San Giorgio" (OMS – 1999)
Jazz Mobile Saxophone Ensemble: "Gilgamesh" (JMR – 1999)
Martinale Di Gregorio, , Pejrolo, Franciscone: "Links" (Splasc(h) Records – 2002)
Roberto Demo Quartet: “Sono un Bluff” (Abeat – 2005)

…from the press:

“Martinale belongs to that deep and enduring line of Italian pianists who have absorbed a broad spectrum of the jazz tradition and stamped it with an individual personality ... if he lived and recorded in the United States, he might be better known internationally as one of the leading jazz pianist”
Steven Loewy - All Music Guide

“...music with modern jargon, whilst the singing of each piece reveals a taste for melody, sustained by refined harmonic solutions and the rich personality of the composer.”
GianCarlo Roncaglia - La Repubblica

“...the tunes “contained in this CD are all originals and compete for beauty in thrilling progression...”
Paolo Curtabbi - Il Giornale della Musica

“Martinale inspires his musicians without any tension, reaching in this way the ideal interplay for his brilliant compositional solutions.”

Gianmichele Taormina – Jazzit

“His main stylistic environment is based in the tradition, in which he finds himself very comfortable, often achieving superb results...and he also demonstrates a conspicuous and elegant talent as composer.”

Giuseppe Piacentino – Musica Jazz

“Performer and musician pretty refined, whom's messages on the keyboard deserve the highest recognition.”

Caro Peroni – Il Secolo d'Italia

“A swing feel that has only few competitors among the numerous Italian musicians.”

Gino Fortunato - Il nostro Giornale

“One of the few examples of a successful journey inside the jazz music without leaving out the classical tradition and the melody of the standards.”

Francesco Gorrieri – Ciao Jazz

Taormina -

“A sophisticated, original, modern and refined jargon, within reach of everybody, though...., getting richer and richer whenever you listen to it again...”
Paola Molino - L’Eco del Chisone

“Sensitive and personal pianist...his CD....is refined and intense.”
Marco Basso - La Stampa

"... successfully combining expression and poise, qualities not often found among the many CDs recently offered by Italian jazz..."
Enrico Bettinello – Jazzit

"Martinale's Quartet debut CD gives us a measure of the high standards reached by young Italian jazz players..."