Career
Marty"s parents were Martin Senior and Helen Flachsenhaar of New York City. Flax also played flute, clarinet and trombone in addition to the saxophone. He was a baritone saxophonist in the bands of Louis Jordan, Dizzy Gillespie, Perez Prado, and Tito Puente, and also played on soundtracks composed by Raymond Scott.
He worked with Les Elgart and Claude Thornhill in the late 1950s, then with Quincy Jones, Melba Liston and Gillespie (including on State Department tours of the Middle East and South America).
Early in the 1960s he again toured South America with the Woody Herman orchestra. When not on tour he led a house band at the Cafe Society.
He also worked with Buddy Rich and Sammy Davis, Junior.