Martin Shumann went to Robinson High school in Tampa and dated Chris Gomez sister, Kelly Anne. In 1967 he spent a summer at New College in Sarasota as an itinerant folk musician/hippy. Martin was one of the Seminal Denizens of the Den from 1965 to 1968. He was there four nights a week.

He remembers meeting Ramblin' Jack at Eric Van Schmidt's house in Sarasota. One night he ran into Jack at Beaux Arts with his friend, Ron Macalderry. Ron is a tall 6'6" and Jack barely came up to his chin. Jack walked up to him, stared down at his brand new shiny boots then up at his face. Ron stared down at Jack's feet. His boots were old and worn. Ron felt embarrassed in his new boots. Jack knew how to bring you down to size.

Martin moved to upstate New York and was living in a tent on Mt. Ohyo and working at the Hapiglop leathershop in Woodstock when the big festival came along. They closed the shop and packed for the event, but left some incense burning. There was a fire and the shop burned down while they were at the festival.

Martin moved to the hot folk scene in Boston. Club 47 in Cambridge featured Ramblin' Jack and Eric Van Schmidt, and Mel Lyman played harmonica with Jim Kwiskin's Jug Band.