Pink Martini

Pop orchestra

Pink Martini draws on diverse influences to weave a seamless musical fabric that defies immediate classification, but has been lauded by critics throughout the world for its international flavor and ability to entertain. The Boston Globe commented, "The recipe for a Pink Martini would read something like this: One part French chanson, one part Argentine tango, one part soft merengue beat, and a dash of gin-joint jazz. Combine ingredients and shake vigorously over old Hollywood glamour. Pour into a glass and garnish with a paper parasol." First attaining recognition during the lounge music revival of the mid- and late-1990s as exemplified by such acts as the Cherry Poppin' Daddies and bands of that ilk, Pink Martini sought a wider variety of styles, from Japanese torch songs to Maurice Ravel's "Bolero." According to the group's musical leader, Thomas Lauderdale, "Pink Martini is like a romantic Hollywood musical of the 1940s or 50s—but with a global perspective which is modern," he wrote on the band's official Web site. "We bring melodies and rhythms from different parts of the world together." Describing themselves as a "pop orchestra" and as "music archaeologists," Pink Martini was described in the Washington Post as "digging up neglected treasures and styles from the past and reinventing them for the 21st century. But there's nothing pedantic about the result: This is rich, hugely approachable music, utterly cosmopolitan yet utterly unpretentious."

Pink Martini was formed by Lauderdale in 1994 as a vehicle to perform at fundraisers for progressive causes. Lauderdale was one of four racially diverse adopted children in his family, and he developed a talent for piano at an early age. By the time he was 13, he was a guest performer with the Oregon Symphony Orchestra. "The whole concept of having a band was truly the last thing I ever expected to be doing," he told the Boston Globe. "I grew up studying classical piano, but I went off to Harvard to study history and literature with the intention of going into politics. The band was going to be a one-time thing, and, well, here we are." After graduating cum laude from Harvard, Lauderdale returned to Portland with hopes of running for mayor, but found himself frustrated by the lackluster music at area fundraisers. He began Pink Martini after drafting vocalist China Forbes, a friend from Harvard who had studied theater, painting, and English literature. The bi-racial Forbes, at the time she received the call from Lauderdale, was establishing herself as a folk-pop singer and songwriter in New York City. The Washington Post described her vocals: "Forbes has a fine, velvety voice, and though she may not yet have the richness and dramatic power of a great cabaret singer, she made up for it … with style, sliding from sultry ballads into whispery Japanese melodies without a trace of effort." The article continued: "Throughout, she radiated a kind of femme-fatale-in-training charm—the girl next door who's not quite sure how she ended up onstage but is going to make like a vamp anyway." The New York Times described Forbes's voice as "a clear and precise instrument, the perfect voice to convey a cosmopolitan air." The reviewer praised a New York performance: "When she sang in French, she put a shudder in her vibrato, channeling Edith Piaf; when she sang in Japanese, she adopted a coquettish and whispery tone. Tackling Arabic on one song, she managed a series of quavering microtones without sounding like a parodist."

The two enlisted a group of musicians, eventually expanding the Pink Martini lineup to 12 members of various musical, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds. In 1997 the Forbes and Lauderdale composition "Sympathique," loosely translated as "I don't want to work," became a hit in France after it was used in a Citroen advertisement. They released the song on the debut album of the same title, which sold more than 700,000 copies worldwide, an impressive feat for an album issued by the group's own label without major distribution and with next-to-no airplay, since the recording challenged narrow radio formats. The group grew in popularity, largely due to word of mouth from fans and journalists who were able to define the Pink Martini sound in an enticing way. Forbes described the group's music to the Washington Post reporter: "It's really a result of the number of people in the band, who all come from different backgrounds, from classical to jazz to Brazilian to Cuban." Lauderdale added, "Because everybody in the band has a voice and everybody writes music, it translates to quite a diverse repertoire." But Pink Martini doesn't stress any subtext. Genial and eager to entertain, it delivers a knowing sophistication backed by skillful arrangements. The New York Times, reviewing a concert, noted that the group "played arrangements of Ravel's ‘Bolero’ and Lecuona's ‘Malaguena,’ along with a Japanese pop hit from the 1960's, a Carmen Miranda vehicle and a song from a 1950 Italian film Anna." The reviewer also had praise for the group's original compositions, calling them "just as peripatetic."

Lauderdale and Forbes continued to collaborate on songs and search for music to represent on Pink Martini's subsequent albums, Hang on Little Tomato (2004) and Hey Eugene! (2007). On the latter, Pink Martini enlisted jazz torch singing legend Jimmy Scott for a duet with Forbes on "Tea for Two" from the 1920s Broadway musical No, No Nanette.

Pink Martini made its European debut at the Cannes Film Festival in the 1990s and continued to make inroads in American, European, and Middle Eastern markets, largely due to the dizzying array of musical styles on display during their live performances—and the appeal of seeing the group play with orchestral backing. "We record in different languages and we mine different styles of music," Lauderdale told the Boston Globe. "But ultimately everybody's curious about the world, and I think that's why people continue to be interested in our music."

For the Record …

Members include Phil Baker , bass; Gavin Bondy , trumpet; Brian Lavern Davis , percussion; China Forbes , vocals; Paloma Griffin , violin; Thomas Lauderdale , piano; Timothy Nishimoto , vocals and percussion; Derek Reith , percussion; Robert Taylor , trombone; Martin Zarzar , drums. Former members include Dave Eby, cello; Richard Rothfus, drums and bongos; Doug Smith, vibes and percussion; Jonas Tauber, bass; John Wager, bass, guitar and vocals. Touring members include: Jeffrey Budin, trombone; Pansy Chang, cello; Nicholas Corosa, violin; Dan Faehnle, guitar; Claude Giron, cello; Maureen Love, harp; Brant Taylor, cello.

Band formed in Portland, OR, 1994; released debut album, Sympathique, 1997; released Hang on Little Tomato, 2004; Hey Eugene!, 2007.

Addresses: Web site—Pink Martini Official Web site: http://www.pinkmartini.com.