NINETY-SECOND SEASON SYMPHONY CENTER PRESENTS

Saturday, March 4, 2023, at 8:00

Pink Martini

Thomas M. Lauderdale Piano

China Forbes Lead Vocals

Edna Vazquez Guest Vocals

Jimmie Herrod Guest Vocals

Thomas Barber Trumpet

Robert Taylor Trombone

Nicholas Crosa Violin

Phil Baker Bass

Dan Faehnle Guitar

Timothy Nishimoto Vocals and Percussion

Brian Davis Drums and Percussion

Miguel Bernal Congas and Percussion

Andrew Borger Drums and Percussion

The program will be announced from the stage.

There will be one intermission.

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

Pink Martini

Now in its twenty-eighth year of performing, Pink Martini was founded by bandleader/pianist Thomas M. Lauderdale in 1994 to provide beautiful and inclusive performances at fundraisers and galas for progressive causes, with a style inspired by Latin, big band, classical, and the golden age of Hollywood. Lauderdale’s friend from their time at Harvard, China Forbes, soon moved to Portland to become lead singer, and they released their landmark album Sympathique in 1997. Soon this “little orchestra” was touring the globe with a dozen or more musicians, singing their culturally inclusive music in over twenty languages and performing at legendary venues such as Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, the Sydney Opera House, and the Hollywood Bowl. The band has released nine studio albums and numerous side projects on its own label, Heinz Records, and is proud to call Oregon home.

Thomas M. Lauderdale Piano

Raised on a plant nursery in rural Indiana, Pink Martini bandleader Thomas M. Lauderdale began piano lessons at age six with Patricia Garrison. When his family moved to Portland in 1982, he began studying with Sylvia Killman, who, to this day, continues to serve as his coach and mentor. He has appeared as soloist with numerous orchestras and ensembles, including the Oregon Symphony, the Seattle Symphony, Portland Youth Philharmonic, Chamber Music Northwest, and several collaborations with Oregon Ballet Theatre.

Lauderdale founded Pink Martini in 1994 to play political fundraisers for progressive causes such as civil rights, the environment, affordable housing and public broadcasting. In 2018 he completed Love for Sale, an album of jazz standards with singer/civil rights leader

Kathleen Saadat. In 2019 Thomas Lauderdale and members of Pink Martini collaborated on a new release with the international singing sensation Meow Meow. The album, Hotel Amour, features guest appearances by Rufus Wainwright, the von Trapps, Barry Humphries (of Dame Edna fame), and the inimitable late French pianist and composer Michel Legrand. Last year saw the highly anticipated release of Thomas’s collaboration with Portland’s own surf-rock indie icons, Satan’s Pilgrims, and two singles with Darcelle XV, Portland’s own world-record-setting, longest-performing drag queen on the occasion of her ninety-second birthday. Currently, Lauderdale is collaborating with the iconic Iranian singer Googoosh on her forthcoming album.

Lauderdale serves on the boards of the Oregon Symphony, Pioneer Courthouse Square, the Oregon Historical Society, and the Confluence Project with Maya Lin. He lives in Portland with his partner Hunter Noack.

China Forbes Lead Vocals

China Forbes was born and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She graduated with honors from Harvard after winning the Jonathan Levy Prize for Most Promising Actor. She then appeared in New York regional theater and off-Broadway productions while also performing regularly as a singer/songwriter in New York City clubs. Her first album, Love Handle (November Records), was released in 1995.

That same year, Harvard classmate Thomas Lauderdale invited her to sing with Pink Martini, and she has since fronted the band as well as written many of the band’s most beloved songs with Lauderdale, including “Sympathique (Je ne veux Pas travailler),” “Lilly,” “Una notte a Napoli,” “Let’s Never Stop Falling in Love,” and “Over the Valley,” to name a few. In 2000 “Sympathique” was nominated for song of the year at Les Victoires de La Musique. China’s original song “Hey Eugene” appears on 78 (Heinz), her second solo album, a collection of autobiographical folk-rock songs, and is also the title track of Pink Martini’s third album.

Pink Martini’s latest original song co-written by Forbes, “The Lemonade Song,” was released during the pandemic to millions of streams. In July 2021 China released her post-pandemic anthem “Full Circle” followed by her suicideprevention anthem “Rise,” and is currently at work on her third solo album of original material. China Forbes received the 2022 Ella Fitzgerald Award at the Montreal International Jazz Festival; previous winners include Diana Ross, Etta James, Liza Minnelli, and Aretha Franklin, not to mention Diana Krall, Harry Connick, Jr., and Tony Bennett.

Edna Vazquez Guest Vocals

Edna Vazquez is a fearless singer, songwriter, composer, and guitarist, whose powerful voice and musical talent transcend the boundaries of language to engage and uplift her audience. She is a creative musical artist with a vocal range that allows her to paint seamlessly with her original material, an intersection of traditional Mexican, rock, pop, and other genres. Vazquez’s passion for music and performance grew from her bicultural roots. She has traveled far and wide, spreading her message of light, love, and cultural healing.

Vazquez has grown as a musical artist and collaborator while touring with Pink Martini in addition to her solo performances. She has led her own band projects, including the Edna Vazquez Quartet, the quintet rock band No Passengers, and, most recently, the Edna Vazquez Band. Vazquez also participated in the Latin Grammy Awards with the all-female mariachi fusion band from New York City and 2017 Latin Grammy winners, Flor de Toloache, in addition to accompanying Natalia Lafourcade that night.

In 2022, Vazquez performed Canto en resistencia (Power to the People) with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, with Devendra Banhardt, iLe, Silvana Estrada, Rodrigo Amarante, and Jorge Glem. That same year she performed at the Hollywood Bowl with acclaimed pianist Lang Lang and the Los Angeles Philharmonic to perform Destino, the 1946 film collaboration between Salvador Dalí and Walt Disney.

Jimmie Herrod Guest Vocals

Jimmie Herrod is a Portlandbased artist and performer. He holds a bachelor of music degree in composition and performance from Cornish, and a master of music degree 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 Theatre. Recent performance highlights include being a featured soloist with the Oregon Symphony’s showcase in the 2018 TedX series and working with international acts such as ODESZA, as well as being a regular guest vocalist with Pink Martini, touring throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. In 2018 Herrod recorded “Exodus,” his first single with Pink Martini.

In 2019 Jimmie Herrod released an EP with Pink Martini entitled Tomorrow. In the spring of 2021, Jimmie was requested to audition for the current season of the hit NBC show America’s Got Talent, where he quickly became both a judge and fan favorite, winning a coveted “Golden Buzzer” for his incredible vocal performance of “Tomorrow.” Herrod continues to compete and advance to the semifinals of the show while touring with Pink Martini whenever possible.

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