Pink Martini, the eclectic jazz-classical-Latin-pop combo based in Portland, Oregon, had a surprise worldwide hit with its debut disc Sympathique in the late 1990s. Since then, they’ve had some major lineup changes (one of the lead vocalists, Pepe Raphael, left to front Pepe and the Bottle Blondes), played clubs, festivals and high-class concert halls around the world, and tried to find time in the studio for a sophomore disc. Hang On Little Tomato is a worthy successor to the standards set by Sympathique.
That first outing is a very difficult act to follow. In addition to the high-energy Latin-jazz standards such as “Amado Mio” and “Donde Estas, Yolanda,” it boasts Ary Barroso’s “Brazil,” an otherworldly take on “Que Sera Sera,” and a knockout rendition of Ravel’s “Bolero.” Tomato lacks the punch of those sure-to-please covers, but more than makes up for it with catchy melodies, clevery wordplay, worldbeat rhythms and lush arrangements on 14 tracks, the majority written by band members.
Pink Martini is an ensemble effort all the way, with 10 regular members (and a large supporting cast) of astounding musical pedigree. But the whole thing is the brainchild of the manic and charismatic Thomas Lauderdale, a classically trained pianist with an impish grin and a twinkle in his eye. Lauderdale fronts the group with the able assistance of vocalist China Forbes, and the two wrote or co-wrote most of the originals on Tomato.
The delights of this album are more subtle than those of Sympathique, but I guarantee you’ll be humming these songs all day after a couple of spins. It starts off in a big way with the lushly romantic “Let’s Never Stop Falling in Love,” which showcases Forbes’ beautiful voice, Lauderdale’s aggressive attack on the ivories and the relentless percussion section. “Anna (El Negro Zumbon)” is a catchy bit of pop from an obscure 1950s Italian movie, sung in Spanish, no less. Tim Nishimoto helps Forbes out on the vocals.
Things slow down for the title track, a bit of languid swing in the manner of Glenn Miller. Inspired by a 1960s magazine ad for tomato ketchup, this love song advises anyone languishing in the dark without love to “hang on … something’s coming up ahead/to change your tears to dew instead.” An effective and clever use of the metaphor in a cute and catchy song.
“The Gardens of Sampson & Beasley” finds Forbes waxing nostalgic about love, backed by lots of sweet strings, a harp and a Brazilian bossa-nova beat, with melodic quotes from the American folk standard “My Darling Clementine.” “Dansez-vous,” written by trumpeter Robert Taylor, puts Forbes’ sultry French vocals (including a spoken interlude) over a samba rhythm, with some jazzy sax and even some whistling thrown in. The band’s record label, Heinz, is named after Lauderdale’s dog (who has an unrehearsed barking cameo during the clapping section of “Anna”), and the song, “Lilly,” was inspired by Forbes’ dog; this extremely catchy tune features a girl of whatever species who’s as fickle as she can be but “leaves kisses on your collar,” sung in English and set to a Cuban son. “Clementine” is pure pop — a lush and lovely trombone quartet and tinkling piano over a rhumba beat — its lyrics echoing the earlier song, “The Gardens of Sampson & Beasley,” with romantic images of summer days in gardens.
“Una Notte a Napoli” has been a hit in the Martinis’ live show for a few years; this grand, cinematic song in Italian has a huge chorus sing-along, Spanish-style guitars, a Latin beat and a nostalgic mix of sunshine and sadness. Who could ask for more? It’ll be the first single from the album in Europe. “Aspettami,” another one in Italian and English, is pared down to just acoustic guitar and China’s big, echo-laden vocals.
Straying from the Mediterranean and Caribbean, we come upon “Kikuchiyo to Mohshimasu,” a Japanese pop song featuring the weeping steel guitar of Hiroshi Wada; a nice change of pace. And sprinkled across the album are a few other more somber songs. Most notable is “Veronique,” featuring the vocals and trumpet work of Robert Taylor on a dark, bluesy torch song. “Autrefois” is a melancholy bit of French folk-pop with loop-like drums and darkly textured violin and piano. Then there’s the Croatian “U Plavu Zoru,” a sweeping, multi-section work with Cuban-style rhythms, gypsy-style trumpet, and lots of cello. Forbes’ Croatian vocals aren’t as compelling as her forays into the Romance languages. Wrapping it up is another moody piece, Villa-Lobos’ “Song of the Black Swan,” a haunting melody on piano and cello.
Pink Martini is not a one-disc wonder. They’ve proven that with Hang On Little Tomato.
(Heinz, 2004)
