PINK MARTINI TO RELEASE TWO COLLABORATIVE EPS ON OCTOBER 4:
BÉSAME MUCHO WITH EDNA VAZQUEZ AND TOMORROW WITH JIMMIE HERROD
NEW TRACKS “SOLA SOY” AND “TOMORROW”
BAND EXTENDS EXTENSIVE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR INCLUDING PERFORMANCE AT THE KENNEDY CENTER CELEBRATING 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THEIR DEBUT
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. Pre-order the EPs now 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.
Additionally, debuting today are the new singles “Sola Soy” and “Tomorrow,” which appear on Bésame Mucho and Tomorrow, respectively. 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
September 6—Woodinville, WA—Chateau Saint Michelle
September 7—Sherwood, OR—Bella Madrona Gardens
September 20-21—Winnipeg, Canada—Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra
September 23 —Toronto, Canada—Roy Thompson Hall
September 24—St-Eustache, Canada—Le Zénith de St-Eustache
September 26—Joliet, Canada—Salle Rolland-Brunelle
September 27—Lake Placid, NY—Lake Placid Center for the Arts
September 28—Princeton, NJ—McCarter Theatre
September 29—New Haven, CT—Shubert Theater
October 1—Red Bank, NJ—Count Basie Theatre
October 3—Morristown, NJ—Mayo Performing Arts Center
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
