PINK MARTINI
RELEASES TWO COLLABORATIVE EPS TODAY: BÉSAME MUCHO WITH EDNA
VAZQUEZ AND TOMORROW WITH JIMMIE HERROD
BAND CELEBRATES 25TH ANNIVERSARY WITH PERFORMANCE AT THE KENNEDY CENTER AND EXTENSIVE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
Beloved Oregon-based “little orchestra” Pink
Martini will release two new 5-song studio EPs on October 4 via
Heinz Records featuring fan-favorite collaborators: Bésame
Mucho with Edna Vazquez and Tomorrow
with Jimmie Herrod. Purchase the EPs now HERE
and HERE,
and stream them HERE and
HERE.
Vazquez and Herrod are the two newest members of Pink
Martini and have been touring regularly with the band since late 2017. As
featured guest singers, their contributions have been warmly received by Pink
Martini fans. Bandleader Thomas Lauderdale conceived of and
co-produced this double EP release as a way to showcase his enthusiasm for
these new musical collaborations.
Singles “Sola Soy” and “Tomorrow,” which appear on Bésame
Mucho and Tomorrow, respectively, debuted in September. Vazquez’s
“Sola Soy” is an original showpiece with a broad emotional range that brings
out Pink Martini’s soulful rock side. “Tomorrow” is Herrod’s cover of the hit
song from the musical Annie, in an arrangement by Lauderdale. You can
listen to the songs HERE and
HERE.
In support of the releases, the band expands
their extensive North American “Silver Jubilee” tour into the
fall, with performances at New York City’s Beacon Theatre, San Francisco’s
SFJazz, Boston’s Berklee Performance Center and more. On October 13, Pink
Martini will perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC,
celebrating 25 years since the group performed their first show.
See below for complete tour details.
Pink Martini was founded in Portland, OR, in 1994 by Harvard graduate and classically trained pianist Lauderdale to play political fundraisers for progressive causes such as civil rights, affordable housing and public broadcasting. China Forbes, a classmate of Lauderdale’s at Harvard, joined the ensemble in 1995. In the years since, Pink Martini’s albums have collectively sold over 3 million copies worldwide, all on the band’s own label, Heinz Records. The Times describes the group as “one of the world’s most elegant live bands,” while Huffington Post calls their music “a timely balm for a spiritually bruised country.”
The ensemble has gone on to
perform its multilingual repertoire on concert stages and with symphony orchestras
worldwide including performances with the Boston Pops, San Francisco Symphony,
the Cleveland Orchestra, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and the Los Angeles
Philharmonic.
In addition to Vazquez and
Herrod, band members include Thomas Lauderdale (piano), China Forbes (lead
vocals), Storm Large (vocals), Robert Taylor (trombone), Antonis Andreou
(trombone), Gavin Bondy (trumpet), Nicholas Crosa (violin), Pansy Chang
(cello), Dan Faehnle (guitar), Philip Emilio Baker (upright bass), Timothy
Nishimoto (vocals & percussion), Brian Lavern Davis (congas, drums &
percussion), Miguel Bernal (congas & percussion), Andrew Borger (drums
& percussion) and Reinhardt Melz (drums & percussion).
Vazquez is a singer, songwriter and guitarist whose powerful
voice and musical talent transcend the boundaries of language. Based in
Portland, OR, she is a Latina immigrant and a former member of the Mexican
Army. Her original music crosses the genres of alternative rock, folk, pop and
R&B and delivers a message of light, love and cultural healing. Her passion
for music and education have led her to empower youth and the community through
workshops and projects with the Bravo Youth Orchestras, Young Audiences and the
Lullaby Project by Carnegie Hall. Vazquez has performed at venues nationwide
including Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center and was featured at TEDx in
2018. She has also performed at the MGM in Las Vegas in a special performance
with Latin Grammy award-winner Flor de Toloache and Natalia Lafourcade.
Herrod is a Pacific Northwest-based artist and performer who now splits time between Portland, OR and Paris, France. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Composition and Performance from Cornish, and a Master of Music in Jazz Studies from Portland State University. While he currently serves as an adjunct professor of jazz voice, he remains an active performer both as soloist and collaborator. Herrod has worked in Seattle’s lauded musical theater scene at Arts West and the 5th Avenue Theater. Recent performance highlights include being a featured soloist with the Oregon Symphony’s showcase in the 2018 TEDx series.
PINK MARTINI TOUR DATES
October 4—Wilmington, DE—Grand Opera House
October 5—Bethlehem, PA—Zoellner Arts Center
October 6—Ottawa, Canada—National Arts Centre
October 8—Quebec, Canada—Grand Theatre de Quebec
October 10—Halifax, Canada—Rebecca Cohn Auditorium
October 11—Moncton, Canada—Capitol Theatre
October 13—Washington, DC—Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
October 14—York, PA—Appell Center for the Performing Arts
October 18—Great Barrington, MA—Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center
October 20—Portland, ME—Aura
October 21—East Saint Johnsbury, VT—Fuller Hall at St. Johnsbury Academy
October 23—Burlington, VT—Flynn Center for the Performing Arts
October 24—Troy, NY—Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
October 25—Collingswood, NJ—Scottish Rite Auditorium
October 26-27—Boston, MA—Berklee Performance Center
October 29—Huntington, NY—The Paramount
October 30—New York, NY—The Beacon Theatre
December 1—Medford, OR—The Collier Center for Performing Arts
December 2—Arcata, CA—Van Duzer Theatre
December 3—Monterey, CA—Golden State Theatre
December 4—San Luis Obispo, CA—Performing Arts Center CalPoly
December 8—Santa Barbara, CA—Arlington Theatre
December 10-15—San Francisco, CA—SFJazz
December 17—Davis, CA—Mondavi Center
December 18—Redding, CA—Cascade Theatre
March 4-8—Palm Desert, CA—McCallum Theatres
