I've been drinking pink martinis or really I should say I've been metaphorically drinking in Pink Martini, the group. They've produced two excellent albums a few years back, which a friend of mine gave me for Christmas. I've been listening to them while filing financial documents (yawn), researching the latest company I am doing due diligence on and it helps give a mellow mood to my afternoon with the latin precussion. However the band is definitely more than latin band...it starts out sounding latin then morphs into swing and then one of my favourite pieces, The Gardens of Sampson & Beasley. Later in the album they turn to even more stark but still very melodic pieces with just voice and violin or cello singing charming French pieces such as autrefois and the hauntingly beautiful U Plavu Zoru.
My favourite pieces are the smaller intimate ones where the singer, China Forbes, and just one or two accompanying instruments weave an intimate simpler melody as if she is singing to just me. The title of the second album, Hang On Little Tomato, is an apt title but the tune remarkably happy for a song which starts in a sadder mood.
Reading the notes, I realised one of the albums was recorded in Portland, Oregon in a place called the Kung Fu Bakery. then I noticed the picture on the end of the insert booklet was that of a happy retriever lying on its stomach, with tongue lolling out, over a magazine. Quirky little touches that speak to whimsical me. At any rate, the albums have won me over and for any of you who might be interested in listening to some samples, their website is www.pinkmartini.com
No comments:
Post a Comment