Eric Stoller's blog

Wendy and I went to the OSU LaSells Stewart Center this evening to see/hear Pink Martini. They are an incredible band that is from Portland, Oregon. Their music has been used in films, television shows, and commercials. Tonight, they played with the Corvallis Youth Symphony Orchestra. I was a little skeptical that high schoolers could hang with Pink Martini, but these kids could play! It was a great night. Here’s a link to the Pink Martini online radio. (Flash-based)

Or you can listen to Pink Martini from within my blog!

By the way, describing the music of Pink Martini is practically impossible. It’s eclectic. Its creators graduated from Harvard. The band lives in Portland. Tonight’s songs were in Spanish, English, Italian, and Russian. Hang on Little Tomato, a song from their second album makes me emotional every time I hear it.

From the Pink Martini website:

Somewhere between a 1930s Cuban dance orchestra, a classical chamber music ensemble, a Brasilian marching street band and Japanese film noir is the 12-piece Pink Martini.

Part language lesson, part Hollywood musical, the Portland, Oregon-based ‘little orchestra’ was created in 1994 in Portland, Oregon by Harvard graduate and classically trained pianist Thomas M. Lauderdale to play at political fundraisers for progressive causes such as civil rights, affordable housing, clean water, and public broadcasting. The group made its European debut at the Cannes Film Festival and in the years following went on to tour throughout Europe (including France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Switzerland and Monte Carlo), Greece, Turkey, Taiwan, Lebanon and the United States.

Pink Martini on NPR: Pink Martini Plays It Cool, Shaken and Stirred by the Music of Pink Martini, A Second Sip of Pink Martini