For pianist Thomas Lauderdale, founder of what he terms the “little orchestra” Pink Martini, “a song’s lyrics and melodies must be beautiful,” writes Paul Fried in Thursday’s (11/28) Monterey County Weekly (Seaside, CA). “That vision is the essence of what Lauderdale has accomplished since founding … Pink Martini 25 years ago.” Pink Martini performs often on orchestras’ pops series. “In 1994, he called a vocalist he had met at Harvard named China Forbes…. Forbes’ and Lauderdale’s first sojourn into songwriting yielded the 1995 single ‘Je Ne Veux Pas Travailler’(‘I Don’t Want To Work’) which … to this day … remains a mantra and rallying cry for striking French workers. Their writing partnership now contains a portfolio of some 200 songs penned in 25 different languages over nine studio albums…. This multi-generational, multi-lingual, multi-genre ensemble’s most profound influence lies in touring, not in its recordings. ‘Pink Martini is an American band, but because we spend a lot of time abroad we have an incredible bonafide diplomatic opportunity to represent a broader, more inclusive America,’ … Lauderdale says.”
Posted December 4, 2019
