Pink Martini

Pink Martini, the "little orchestra" of Portland, Ore., returns to ring in the New Year with its genre-crossing fusion of Brazilian samba, '30s Cuban dance and Parisian cafe, with special guest National Public Radio correspondent Ari Shapiro, who sang vocals on the group's fourth album, "Splendor in the Grass. " Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., L.A. 7 and 10:30 p.m. $78-$209. (323) 850-2000. http://www.laphil.com

For many native Angelenos like Gail Samuel, summertime concerts at the Hollywood Bowl are a Southern California ritual as eagerly anticipated as the opening-day bite of a Dodger Dog. This year Samuel will be taking her lifelong Bowl-going habit to a new level in her recently appointed role as chief operating officer of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, which spends its summers at the Bowl. Her programming prescription for the venue, Samuel said, will hew closely to the Bowl's decades-old philosophy.

You know you're at a different kind of pop show when the band begins with a languorous version of Ravel's "Bolero" and the audience hums along with the hypnotic, lilting melody. Then again, Portland's Pink Martini is not your average band. On Friday at the El Rey Theatre (the first of the group's two nights there), its delightful jukebox of lounge stylings encapsulated all the elements that make old-fashioned pop such an appealing genre--including its ability to ground us and comfort us.

Pink Martini, the "little orchestra" of Portland, Ore., returns to ring in the New Year with its genre-crossing fusion of Brazilian samba, '30s Cuban dance and Parisian cafe, with special guest National Public Radio correspondent Ari Shapiro, who sang vocals on the group's fourth album, "Splendor in the Grass. " Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., L.A. 7 and 10:30 p.m. $78-$209. (323) 850-2000. http://www.laphil.com

The lounge revival of the '90s has given us plenty of campy fun--and a bunch of Martin Denny reissues. But the newly emerged genre has also allowed us an opportunity to reevaluate pop innovators such as Sergio Mendes, and enjoy the beautiful creations of new groups like Pink Martini.

A defining moment in a group's career can arrive from the most unexpected of places. For Pink Martini, it came courtesy of the United Nations. Last month Srgjan Kerim, the new president of the U.N.'s General Assembly, ordered 30 copies of Pink Martini's second album, 2004's "Hang on Little Tomato." The Macedonian was so smitten after catching a recent Pink Martini show in Vancouver that he intends to pass out the CD during his first official meeting.

For many native Angelenos like Gail Samuel, summertime concerts at the Hollywood Bowl are a Southern California ritual as eagerly anticipated as the opening-day bite of a Dodger Dog. This year Samuel will be taking her lifelong Bowl-going habit to a new level in her recently appointed role as chief operating officer of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, which spends its summers at the Bowl. Her programming prescription for the venue, Samuel said, will hew closely to the Bowl's decades-old philosophy.

It was an evening of contrasts at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday. The program, "A Night at the Copa," presented a pair of acts -- Brazilian singer Bebel Gilberto and the group Pink Martini -- that might reasonably have performed together in a classic nightclub environment, despite their obvious differences in style and repertoire.

A Pink Martini on New Year's Eve may sound like another colorful concoction with which to raise the spirits as the clock approaches midnight. Something to add to the celebratory downing of green apple and Cosmopolitan martini variations, supplemented by a stroke-of-12 dash of pink Champagne. All of which turned out to be a pretty good definition of the essence of what the group, Pink Martini, brought to a pair of packed-house performances at Disney Hall on Wednesday night.

Forget the Oscars: A hotter ticket is the one for the upstairs after-party at the Kodak Theatre on Sunday. The Governor's Ball is a swank, classic affair that usually features music provided by an orchestra playing tinkling and lush Oscar-winning tunes of the past. Not this year. This year the Portland retro-chic orchestra Pink Martini will perform its cosmopolitan blend of Latin, lounge, bee-bop and torch songs, and Jason Bentley, well known to listeners of KCRW-FM (89.9), will be the first DJ spinning in the history of the party.

Classical Compiled by Sari Heifetz Sundays Live The ongoing series includes free classical music concerts presented by LACMA in cooperation with Friends of Sundays Live. Visit www.sundayslive.org for more information. Bing Theater at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. Today, next Sun. 6 p.m.; indefinitely. Free. (323) 857-6234. Chamber Music: Americas and Americans Members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic perform Hartke's "The Horse With the Lavender Eye," Anderson's Bass Quartet, Villa-Lobos' "Quintet in the form of a chôros," Kraft's "Encounters XI: The Demise of Suriyodhaya" and Revueltas' "Homage to Garcia Lorca."

Given its penchant for eclectic programming, it's no surprise that the Hollywood Bowl curates its show posters the same way it curates its shows. "Musically, we always want to do something unique," says Laura Connelly, director of presentations for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Assn., which oversees the Bowl's concert lineup. "It's not about putting all the big names together, but coming up with pairings that produce something special. The posters are a reflection of that." Last summer, the Bowl asked a dozen artists, including rock-graphics guru Stanley Mouse, punk painter Niagara and the retro-cool Shag to design images for performers such as Grace Jones, Pink Martini and Death Cab for Cutie.

CONTRAST. That's what makes classical music live and breathe. That also aptly describes Leila Josefowicz. The Canadian-born, Grammy-nominated violinist, a former child prodigy who spent the better part of her training at the Curtis Institute of Music while living in Philadelphia and who now resides in New York, grew up in Southern California. "California's a great place to grow up in, especially the suburbs [Westlake Village], which is a huge contrast to my now living in the heart of Manhattan," says Josefowicz (pronounced joe-SEH-foh-wits)

Forget the Oscars: A hotter ticket is the one for the upstairs after-party at the Kodak Theatre on Sunday. The Governor's Ball is a swank, classic affair that usually features music provided by an orchestra playing tinkling and lush Oscar-winning tunes of the past. Not this year. This year the Portland retro-chic orchestra Pink Martini will perform its cosmopolitan blend of Latin, lounge, bee-bop and torch songs, and Jason Bentley, well known to listeners of KCRW-FM (89.9), will be the first DJ spinning in the history of the party.

A defining moment in a group's career can arrive from the most unexpected of places. For Pink Martini, it came courtesy of the United Nations. Last month Srgjan Kerim, the new president of the U.N.'s General Assembly, ordered 30 copies of Pink Martini's second album, 2004's "Hang on Little Tomato." The Macedonian was so smitten after catching a recent Pink Martini show in Vancouver that he intends to pass out the CD during his first official meeting.

It was an evening of contrasts at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday. The program, "A Night at the Copa," presented a pair of acts -- Brazilian singer Bebel Gilberto and the group Pink Martini -- that might reasonably have performed together in a classic nightclub environment, despite their obvious differences in style and repertoire.

CONTRAST. That's what makes classical music live and breathe. That also aptly describes Leila Josefowicz. The Canadian-born, Grammy-nominated violinist, a former child prodigy who spent the better part of her training at the Curtis Institute of Music while living in Philadelphia and who now resides in New York, grew up in Southern California. "California's a great place to grow up in, especially the suburbs [Westlake Village], which is a huge contrast to my now living in the heart of Manhattan," says Josefowicz (pronounced joe-SEH-foh-wits)

Lawrence Kasdan, whom moviegoers haven't seen much from since 1995's "French Kiss," returns to the multiplex Friday with "Mumford." The comedy stars Loren Dean as a former IRS agent who has moved to a small town and hung out his shingle as a psychologist. His booming business--fueled by his listening skills and unorthodox approach--means he knows all the town's secrets . . . and he's not afraid to use them.

A Pink Martini on New Year's Eve may sound like another colorful concoction with which to raise the spirits as the clock approaches midnight. Something to add to the celebratory downing of green apple and Cosmopolitan martini variations, supplemented by a stroke-of-12 dash of pink Champagne. All of which turned out to be a pretty good definition of the essence of what the group, Pink Martini, brought to a pair of packed-house performances at Disney Hall on Wednesday night.

The lounge revival of the '90s has given us plenty of campy fun--and a bunch of Martin Denny reissues. But the newly emerged genre has also allowed us an opportunity to reevaluate pop innovators such as Sergio Mendes, and enjoy the beautiful creations of new groups like Pink Martini.