When she sang in French, she put a shudder in her vibrato, channeling Edith Piaf when she sang in Japanese, she adopted a coquettish and whispery tone. Her great asset is versatility, which she expresses in much the same manner as a United Nations emissary. While the “I Dream of Jeannie” theme was thankfully absent from the concert, there were songs that struck a similar nerve, like “Brazil.” (Customers who bought that item also bought “Que Sera Sera” and a new original called “Everywhere.”)Ĭhina Forbes, Pink Martini’s lead singer and chief songwriter, has a clear and precise instrument, the perfect voice to convey a cosmopolitan air. He was also describing an aesthetic - jet set, vintage-chic, more than a little campy - that lives on in the Pink Martini of today. Lauderdale wasn’t merely riffing on his band’s skyrocketing success. (This week it was still in the Top 30.)īut Mr.

Its third - another self-release, “Hey Eugene!” - enjoyed a triumphant debut last month, entering Amazon’s bestseller list at No. The group’s first two albums, released on its own Heinz label, have together sold more than a million copies worldwide.

Pink Martini, a canny pop orchestra based in Portland, Ore., has grown in size and stature since the mid-1990s, when its core consisted of four musicians instead of the current 12. As he must have expected, the line got a knowing laugh, followed by a round of applause. Lauderdale, the founder of Pink Martini, offered that reminiscence on Wednesday night while surveying a full house at Carnegie Hall.

“When the band first started I was wearing cocktail dresses and we were playing ‘I Dream of Jeannie.’ ” Thomas M.

Que sera sera pink martini