Martha's Prize is a jazz instrumental composed by Cedar Walton. It first appeared on his 1996 studio album Composer, released on the Astor Place label and recorded in January 1996 in New York City; the piece is widely considered Walton's tribute, reportedly written for his wife Martha. The track showcases Walton's hard-bop piano language, backed by a stellar lineup including Roy Hargrove on trumpet, Ralph Moore on saxophones, Vincent Herring on alto sax, Christian McBride on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums. The A section uses a tonic ii-V-I with a tri-tone substitution to the IV, and the bridge features a two-beat displacement that challenges the improviser's line. In 2011 Walton revisited Martha's Prize on his final studio album The Bouncer, a groove-forward date that blends bebop, blues, and R&B influences. A later interpretation by David Hazeltine surfaced in 2014, illustrating the tune's lasting appeal.
