Pink Martini - Sympathique (1997)

«Pink Martini was the brainchild of classically trained pianist Thomas M. Lauderdale and vocalist China Forbes; fusing a vast array of influences spanning Cuban jazz to music hall to film scores, the group honed an exotic sound which led to their 1997 debut LP, Sympathique. The group's sophomore effort, Hang on Little Tomato, emerged seven years later, followed by Hey Eugene! in 2007. Pink Martini's debut album incorporates an impressive variety of influences; traces of Cuban music, cabaret, and film soundtracks are all discernible on Sympathetique, an intriguing blend of contemporary pop painted with brass, strings, and percussion.» (AMG)

«“Both China Forbes and I come from multicultural families,” says founder and pianist Thomas M. Lauderdale, “and all of us in the band have studied different languages and music from different parts of the world. So inevitably, because everyone in the band contributes in the writing and arranging of songs, the repertoire is wildly diverse. At one moment, you feel like you’re in the middle of a samba parade in Rio de Janeiro, and in the next moment, you are suddenly in a French music hall of the 1930s or in a palazzo in Napoli. It’s like an urban musical travelogue.” “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 incredible opportunity to represent a different kind of America through our repertoire and our concerts – that is, an America which is the most heterogeneously populated country in the world – comprised of people from every country, every language, every religion.” “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. My hope is that we’re creating music which can be turned up or down, and played on almost any occasion, from background music of a love affair to vacuuming around the house,” Lauderdale says.» (From the band’s Official Site)

Pink Martini lyrics here

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