The Album of the Evening thread (http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/Album-Evening) has turned out to be one of my CA favorites as it helps me discover new music amd reminds me to revisit some old.

In that latter category, my latest Album of the Evening was Sympathique, the debut release by Pink Martini, a group I discovered in the mid- or late-90s. (This recording, by the way, has been always been a sure-fire gifting expendient for anyone on my Christmas or birthday lists who even remotely appreciates music. I challenge just about any carbon-based life form to listen through it and not get up and dance or bounce or shake or somehow move.)

When I first encountered Pink Martini, they seemed to be a party band, highly sought after for local gigs in the Portland (Oregon) area, such as New Year Eve events and the like. Then they were featured live-in-studio on KCRW's (kcrw.com) Morning Becomes Eclectic around the time of the Sympathique release (which luckily I recorded off the air, allowing me to re-listen to some stuff that has never since come above ground).

Back in June, Pink Martini announced that its wonderful singer, China Forbes, would be out for at least a year to undergo vocal cord surgery and recovery. In the meantime, her stand-in was to be Storm Large, another irresistible and rather astonishing Portland icon -- with a reputation as a six-foot-tall, sailor-mouthed Glamazon with a warm heart and a big voice. (You might want to Google/YouTube for some of her work with her old group, Storm Large and The Balls.) Take a look at what the aptly-named singer has been doing lately with the band, including their recent European tour.

Amado Mio

[video=youtube_share;BpHDWZAwXW4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BpHDWZAwXW4

Brasil

[video=youtube_share;1DoBK8gVC_Y]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1DoBK8gVC_Y

Gone

[video=youtube_share;v7ScnkcrAYs]

I'm hoping PM goes beyond YouTube and releases a (hi-res) concert tour recording, or even a Storm-worthy DVD! Catch 'em live!

Visit PM at http://pinkmartini.com/home/ and Storm at http://stormlarge.com/.