P is for Pink Martini

Portland has become quite the magnet for indie musicians: The Decemberists, The Shins, M. Ward, Conor Oberst, Carrie Brownstein...But if you were to ask which band best represents Portland to the world, I think most people here would say Pink Martini.

The so-called "little orchestra" founded by pianist/composer Thomas Lauderdale and vocalist China Forbes has endeared itself to folks with its exquisite musicianship, international flair and involvement in the community.

The band has made five CDs and each of them is brimming with creativity and an enthusiastic embrace of world music. They choose music that ranges from lounge to jazz to pop and they've sung their songs in at least five languages besides English -- French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese. They often do concert fundraisers (we attended one at the Memorial Coliseum shortly after Hurricane Katrina) and they regularly perform on New Year's Eve at a local venue.

Lauderdale and Forbes met at Harvard (how many times do you hear that about a band?) his roots here go even deeper. Thomas attended Grant High School, where two of our kids went to school, and was already well-known as an up-and-coming musician before he even graduated. The first time I saw him perform was solo in the living room of one of Lori's friends, who had gathered his friends together in the final weeks of his life as he was dying of AIDS.


The band's touring schedule this year will take them everywhere from Canada to Europe to Bend in central Oregon, to New York's Central Park for a free concert. They're an awesome group. Probably their best-known song is "Hey, Eugene" but "Kikuchiyo to Mohshimasu" -- a Japanese love song, complete with the stringed instrument known as a koto -- is also worth a look and listen.

Be patient with the video below. The live music kicks in after about a minute. Definitely worth it.