Concert Review: Pink Martini, SkyCity Theatre

Pink Martini. Photo / Supplied.

Most concerts don't surprise. The band play a mix-up of their hits, some things from the new album and crowd-pleasers to finish.

Perhaps because Seattle's Pink Martini - a 10-piece with the sublime singer China Forbes - haven't had "hits", they are free from the mechanical, unsurprising set list.

The surprises began before they played: not many have Goodness Gracious Me (Peter Sellers and Sophia Loren) and Lou Reed's Walk on the Wild Side as warm-up music.

Or start with Ravel's Bolero.

But Pink Martini - helmed by gifted pianist/arranger Thomas M. Lauderdale - are unlike any other ensemble.

Their set roamed across languages, went from their breathtakingly beautiful ballad Over the Valley and Splendor in the Grass (in which they rewrite the ballad Burning Bridges and drop in some soaring Tchaikovsky), to a drum solo worthy of Sandy Nelson and guitar playing (Dan Faehnle) starting where jazz genius Jim Hall left off.

They offered a version of Watermelon Man to allow trumpeter Gavin Bondy to shine, conjured up gypsy romance, samba ... and all that before the interval.

Afterwards it was a Carmen Miranda song from the 30s, a ballad in Mandarin from the 40s with Forbes and singer Timothy Nishimoto, a violin piece by Fritz Kreisler from 1928 and much more. And audience members on stage at the end. This was classy, enjoyable and full of that rarity: surprises.

MUSIC

Who: Pink Martini.

Where: SkyCity Theatre.

When: Wednesday.