Acrpost: A Project of the Pacific Association of Artist Run Centres

Event Description

University of Victoria's Farquar Auditorium
3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, BC
Doors 7:30pm - Showtime 8:00pm - RESERVED SEATING
Tickets: $39.50 (Main Level) & $37.50 (Balcony) + service charges
Tickets available at: UVIC Centre Box Office (250) 721-8480

Pink Martini's Website is: www.pinkmartini.com
More info can be found at: www.hightideconcerts.net or email us at
hightideconcerts@shaw.ca

The music of Pink Martini melds jazz and cinematic themes with driving rhythms
and exotic vocals. The project led by vocalist China Forbes and pianist Thomas
M. Lauderdale has won fans around the world. It took Pink Martini seven years to
come out with a follow-up to their 1997 debut, Sympathique. Their 2004 release,
Hang On Little Tomato, extended the group's brand of globe-hopping cool,
including collaborations with musicians of different eras and nationalities. In
addition to Spanish and English, the songs are in French, Italian, Japanese and
Croatian.

Somewhere between a 1930s Cuban dance orchestra, a classical chamber
music ensemble, a Brasilian marching street band and Japanese film noir is the
12-piece Pink Martini.

THE BAND
Part language lesson, part Hollywood musical, the Portland, Oregon-based 'little
orchestra' was created in 1994 in Portland, Oregon by Harvard graduate and
classically trained pianist Thomas M. Lauderdale to play at political fundraisers
for progressive causes such as civil rights, affordable housing, clean water, and
public broadcasting. The group made its European debut at the Cannes Film
Festival and in the years following went on to tour throughout Europe (including
France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Switzerland and Monte Carlo), Greece, Turkey,
Taiwan, Lebanon and the United States. Equally at home performing its
multi-lingual repertoire on concert stages and smoky bars, Pink Martini draws a
wildly diverse crowd. The ensemble made its orchestral debut with the Oregon
Symphony Orchestra in 1999 under the direction of Norman Leyden. Pink Martini
has also performed with the symphony orchestras of Seattle, Nashville, New
Jersey, Charlotte, San Antonio, Kansas City and Jacksonville, among others.
The group performed for three nights with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra in
2000 and two nights with the Los Angeles Philharmonic on a co-bill with Sergio
Mendes at the Hollywood Bowl in 2002. In October 2003, Pink Martini performed
at the grand opening of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's new Frank Gehry
designed Walt Disney Concert Hall. They were invited back to play two sold-out
performances for the hall's first New Year's Eve celebration in 2003 (and
confirmed for 2004). Other appearances include the Kennedy Center, the
opening of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas and the William Morris Agency's
100th birthday celebration with soul legend, Al Green. Pink Martini's debut
album, Sympathique, was released independently on the band's own label,
Heinz Records (after Lauderdale's dog, Heinz) and has sold over 650,000 copies
worldwide. Nominated for "Song of the Year" and "Best New Artist" in France's
Victoires de la Musique awards, Sympathique has gone Platinum in France and
Gold in Greece. The band's highly-anticipated second album, Hang on Little
Tomato, will be released on October 19, 2004 on Heinz Records in the United
States, and on Naive Records across Europe.

THE MUSIC
"We're kind of like musical archaeologists, bringing melodies and rhythms from
different parts of the world together to create something which is modern," says
founder and pianist Thomas M. Lauderdale. "It's like an urban musical
travelogue...and I think as citizens of the world and in a sense as musical
ambassadors for the United States, we must always strive to study the
languages, customs, and histories of other countries. We're very much an
American band, but we spend a lot of time abroad, in Europe, in Turkey, in
Lebanon and therefore have the opportunity to demonstrate that Americans are
indeed serious about engaging in a dialogue with the rest of the world."

"One of our goals is to make music which has broad appeal to people, no matter
who they are or where they come from. We play the same set of music wherever
we go, whether it's in a small farming community in Oregon or in France or
Turkey or with a symphony orchestra. Music should be like a wonderful dinner
party. I don't want to always sit next to people who share my opinions. I think
each of us wants a hugely diverse tapestry of influences in our lives. That's what
makes life much more interesting. Every day becomes an adventure."

"My hope is that we're creating exquisite musical wallpaper which can be turned
up or down, and played on almost any occasion, from background music to a
love affair to vacuuming around the house," Lauderdale says. "I think our music
allows people to dance and sing again with its beautiful melodies and beautiful
lyrics. It is entirely romantic and expresses hope and eternal optimism, all the
while recognizing that there is a great amount of sadness in the world."

Hang on Little Tomato, Pink Martini's second album, features mostly original
songs written by the band and its extended family. Drawing on themes
articulated in its first album, Hang on Little Tomato is the result of the group's
diverse collaborations and inspirations. From an advertisement for Hunt's
Ketchup from a 1964 issue of LIFE magazine to a dance sequence in the 1950
Italian film Anna, Hang on Little Tomato includes songs in French, Italian,
Japanese, Croatian, Spanish and English.

"Una Notte a Napoli," for example, was written with Alba Clemente - an Italian
stage and television star in the 1970s - and DJ Johnny Dynell of the legendary
New York-based nightclub Jackie 60. In a reworking of the Japanese song
"Kikuchiyo to Mohshimasu," Pink Martini collaborated and recorded in Japan
with Hiroshi Wada, the slide guitarist whose group originally recorded and
released the song 40 years ago.

The recipe for a Pink Martini would read something like this: One part French
chanson, one part Argentine tango, one part soft meringue beat, and a dash of
gin-joint jazz. Combine ingredients and shake vigorously over old Hollywood
glamour.

"Pink Martini had the sold-out "Pops" audience leaping to its feet twice and
demanding more."
Spokane Spokesmen-Review

"If life is a cabaret, Pink Martini is the band in the existential orchestra pit."
CMJ New Music Monthly

"Three nights of packed houses point to the power of the undefinable -- no
matter how Pink Martini gets described, there's always an element being
overlooked, a reliance on phrases such as lounge, cosmopolitan rumba or
neo-classical that only tells part of this rich story. Impressive at every musician's
station, the ensemble produces music that's charming and elegant."
Variety