Splendor in the Grass

"This is rich, hugely approachable music, utterly cosmopolitan yet utterly unpretentious. And it seems to speak to just about everybody." -- Washington Post

"Ms. Forbes is an unpretentious, pitch-perfect chanteuse who can be breathy and girlish or sultry. She's ideal for songs that usually revolve around old-fashioned romance; she tempers heartbreak with savoir-faire." -- New York Times

* Pink Martini's three previous albums have sold over 2 million copies worldwide.
* Long-awaited fourth album features several songs in a classic Pink Martini style alongside excursions into 1970s, modernist minimalism, classic ranchera, and swing.
* Partnering with high-powered NYC publicity firm Sacks & Co. (Björk, David Byrne, Buena Vista Social Club) to publicize Splendor in the Grass.
* Famed Dandy Warhols guitarist and leader Courtney Taylor-Taylor appears on the title track.
* Velvet-voiced Emilio Delgado, famous as Luis on Sesame Street, duets with China Forbes on "Sing."
* Legendary 90-year-old ranchera singer Chavela Vargas, formerly the lover of painter Frida Kahlo, guests on Agustin Lara classic "Piensa en mi."
* Popular NPR correspondent Ari Shapiro makes his professional recording debut on the Pink Martini original "But Now I'm Back."

China Forbes: vocals/Timothy Nishimoto: vocals, percussion/ Gavin Bondy: trumpet/Robert Taylor: trombone/Nicholas Crosa: violin/Pansy Chang: cello/Dan Faehnle: guitar/Phil Baker: upright bass/Maureen Love: harp/Brian Davis: congas, percussion/ Derek Rieth: congas, percussion/Martin Zarzar: drums, percussion/ Thomas M. Lauderdale: piano Chavela Vargas: guest vocals/Emilio Delgado: guest vocals/ Ari Shapiro: guest vocals/Courtney Taylor-Taylor: guest guitar

* Ninna nanna
* Ohayoo Ohio
* Splendor in the Grass
* Ou est ma tete?
* And Then You're Gone
* But Now I'm Back
* Sunday Table
* Over the Valley
* Tuca tuca
* Bitty Boppy Betty
* Sing
* Piensa en mi
* New Amsterdam
* Ninna nanna (reprise)

Album Description
Pink Martini--the genre-bending, best-selling, supremely talented, and raucously fun twelve-piece ensemble that the New Yorker calls simply "beautiful," sophisticated," and "breathtaking"--returns with Hey Eugene! a twelve-track sonic journey anchored by deft songwriting and a no-holds-barred dose of cabaret showmanship. "We're kind of like musical archaeologists, bringing melodies and rhythms from different parts of the world together to create something that is modern," explains bandleader, artistic director, and founder Thomas Lauderdale. Delivered with sultry grace by lead singer China Forbes, Hey Eugene! shines throughout--from the golden-era Hollywood melody of "Everywhere" to the French cabaret of "Ojala." Other collaborations anchor the set as well: the pan-world "Dosvedanya, Mio Bombino" with its Latin-meets-Russian beat and globetrotting subject matter, plus the Forbes-Lauderdale-penned sexy sway of "City of Night." Peruvian percussionist Martin Zarzar debuts the romantically complex "Mar Desconocido" and bassist Phil Baker adds the quiet beauty of "Cante e Dance." The group also mines the past for hidden gems, including the Japanese-language track "Taya Tan" and their first-ever recording in Arabic, "Bukra wba'do." Meanwhile, clever lyricism leads to an empowering dose of pop perfection on the title track by Forbes (about a boy she met at a party who asked for her number and never called). Finally, jazz legend Jimmy Scott makes a stunning vocal guest appearance in a duet with Forbes on the closing song "Tea for Two." With Hey Eugene! Pink Martini has returned with an exhilarating album full of uncompromising musicianship, hope, beauty, and joy!