Jazz singer Rebecca Martin set her sights on The Big Apple when she was just a kid growing up in Rumford, Maine.

She has played Carnegie Hall and headlined a full week at the Village Vanguard. She has sung with renowned jazz drummer/percussionist Paul Motian and appeared on “Late Night With David Letterman.”

Now, she’s coming home to perform for the first time since making it big.

Martin will give a free concert with a trio that includes her husband, Larry Grenadier, a world-class bassist, at the University of Maine in Augusta on March 9. The two will then give a benefit concert on Thursday, March 10, at 49 Franklin.

Scot Grassette, 49 Franklin owner, said he connected with Martin through Facebook and asked her to perform locally if she was ever in town. She responded positively, but in a general, polite way, he said. “Then I got a message from her saying that she was playing in Augusta and she wanted to help an organization in Rumford.”

“It was her idea to do a benefit concert. It’s very generous of her,” Grassette said.

At $10 for an advance ticket and $12 at the door, proceeds from the Rumford show will go toward the Hope Association, an organization that provides a wide range of services for people with developmental disabilities. Usually splitting the take with performers, Grassette said that his portion would also go to the Hope Association. Grassette has performed as a magician to help the organization for many years.

“I like to use music to support organizations,” Martin said from her home in Kingston, N.Y. “I was coming up to Augusta and thought this would be great. My son has a sensory processing issue, so I’m happy to help.”

Martin noted that her son Charlie, now 5, is doing well as a result of early intervention. Martin and her husband noticed early on that their son had difficulties with lights and sounds.

Martin has the kind of soothing, understated style that seems the perfect remedy for anyone wanting relief from the world’s stimulation overload. Last summer, she released “When I Was Long Ago,” an album of standards that showcases her ability to let a song like “Someone To Watch Over Me” warmly and comfortably seep into the senses.

“My mom always thought I should be singing the classics,” Martin said. “I grew up listening to pop like everyone else, but there was a recording studio in Bethel that exposed me to all kinds of music. My mom had a sense.”

Martin said she studied music for a year at UMA before leaving for New York in 1987. She landed with some jazz musicians and started performing. Grenadier is a member of the Brad Mehldau Trio and plays with Pat Metheny and John Scofield.

“I don’t really identify with genre,” said Martin, who calls herself a singer-songwriter. “I actually find it really limiting. Music’s either good or it isn’t. It either moves you or it doesn’t. All you have to do is make a record with standards and you’re a jazz singer.”

Martin’s 2008 album of original music, “The Growing Season,” is labeled as jazz but escapes even that broad definition. Her music is soothing and sincere. She sings without affectation or embellishments. It’s an easy Sunday morning kind of sound.

Martin thinks that maybe her sound comes from growing up in rural Maine where she spent most of her time outdoors. Since her father died 10 years ago, Martin hasn’t been home much. She said she’s looking forward to it.

These days, she continues singing in New York and touring across the country. She has started a trio of female singers called Tillery, which includes Gretchen Parlato and Becca Stevens. She will teach songwriting at Stanford University this summer and continues her civic work in Kingston, which includes her role as executive director of the Kingston Land Trust.

Her appearance in Augusta includes teaching a university master class at 3 p.m. on March 9 before her 7 p.m. concert. Both are free events.

Tickets for the Rumford benefit concert are available at Bartash’s and All that Jazz in Rumford; online at www.49franklin.com; or by calling 369-0129.

Acclaimed jazz singer Rebecca Martin will return to Rumford to give a concert with her husband, world-renowned bassist Larry Grenadier, on Thursday, March 10. The concert will benefit the Hope Association.