Make mine Martini

Rose City’s big export prepares to unleash third CD on fans worldwide

By BARBARA MITCHELL

The Portland Tribune, May 15, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009

©2005 JAMES WILDERHANCOCK

Pink Martini shakes up New Year’s Eve 2005 at Portland’s Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Singer China Forbes (middle) says of her musical journey with bandleader Thomas Lauderdale (left, at piano) that “the biggest surprise for me is that almost 20 years after we met …, Thomas and I are still partners in crime, forever entwined by the songs we have written together and a friendship that has grown and deepened in the studio, on the road, and on the sidewalks of Portland.”

When Pink Martini released “Sympathique” in 1997, no one – least of all the band – anticipated what would follow.

In other words, the Pink Martini story has been a surprising and fantastic one even within an industry that by nature is unpredictable and crazy. As the band prepares to release its third album, “Hey Eugene!,” we asked its members to look back on some of the more surreal moments of their journey.

“I am first and foremost a classically trained orchestral musician, and was a member of the Oregon Symphony for seven years.

“Being in Pink Martini has afforded me the rare opportunity to play on the same stage with some of the finest symphony musicians in the world. It is profoundly gratifying for me.

“Last summer we got to play with my favorite orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, and I got to sit next to Sascha Barantschick, the concertmaster. I have idolized him for years. It was such a huge honor, and I learned so much.”

– Paloma Griffin (violin)

“The most surreal moment with Pink Martini was performing at the Hollywood Bowl, having grown up in Los Angeles and seen greats such as Ella Fitzgerald on the same stage.

“Knowing my family was at the show made it absolutely amazing. During one of the shows I was so overwhelmed I fought back tears through most of it.”

– Timothy Nishimoto (vocals)

“A pretty big highlight on the list is simply the occasional extremely large and affectionate audience. Three consecutive nights at the Hollywood Bowl and one very

large crowd at a festival in Nyon, Switzerland, come to mind.

“That kind of energy is exhilarating. You know how they speak of ‘the roar of the crowd’? One time, I finished playing a trumpet solo number, and the crowd seemed to actually do that.

“For a second, it scared me down deep, as if it had been a Bengal tiger. Maybe it was just the acoustics of the room. Nobody else mentioned it, so maybe I was just hallucinating, but the reaction I felt was striking.”

– Gavin Bondy (trumpet)

“There has been so much afforded us with our success so far – but a standout surprise for me would have to be jumping on stage to play with Ringo Starr and Elton John directly after a Pink Martini set at the Cannes Film Festival.

“Thinking I might just get thrown off, Ringo smiled and said, ‘All right then, mate, let’s have a go at it’ – and so we did. Other Pink members soon joined in.

“Surreal would have to be walking off that same stage, sitting down and having a chat with Elizabeth Taylor, and directly from there to talking hoops with Pat Riley. A fabulous evening!”

– Brian Lavern Davis (percussion)

“I have been performing with Pink Martini for the past two years.

“During this time, I have gotten to know the band members pretty well. Every one of them is an amazing musician but, above all, they are great people and friends.

“Being on tour around the world with a band this size can be difficult to pull off for most groups without some snags here and there. I am always impressed at how smoothly everything runs for us, even in the toughest of situations.

“Our great management and technical teams should get a big congratulation as well as every member of the band.

“The most surprising part about performing with Pink Martini, for me, is how much energy the group can still create even after being transplanted from one country to the next. In many cases, this happens daily. The act of country-hopping in itself is a very surreal thing and can be taxing, but I never get tired of it.

“All of the wonderful times I have had with Pink and the far-off places we have visited never cease to amaze or humble me. What a pleasure it is to perform with individuals that are professional and disciplined but can still find time to keep life exciting and fresh.”

– Nicholas Crosa (violin)

“The most surreal/silly moment for the both of us was when we were married in Thomas (Lauderdale)’s loft in June of 2001. The service was said by Kerby Lauderdale, Thomas’ father, who is a minister at Peace Church of the Brethren in Portland.

“Heinz, Thomas’ dog, and whom Heinz Records was named after, was the ‘flower dog.’ The loft was full of people, as Thomas’ loft often is, many of whom we did not know.

“Thomas had actually had his wisdom teeth taken out the day before so was in a state of sedation and recalls little of the wedding. Needless to say, it was a great, quirky moment in our Pink Martini lives.”

– Dan Faehnle (guitar) and Pansy Chang (cello)

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