"Hang on, little tomato. Stay on the vine until you're fat and juicy. Then we'll pluck you and boil you in secret bubbling spices and turn you into ketchup."

— Hunt's Ketchup ad,

1964 issue of Life Magazine

These words, believe it or not, became the inspiration that led to Pink Martini's second album, "Hang On, Little Tomato."

It's an album that reflects what Pink Martini is all about — something the group's founder, Thomas Lauderdale, describes as being akin to a cross between a 1940s Hollywood musical and the United Nations. "They're songs in different languages — Croatian, Spanish, French, Japanese, Italian and English. And each of the songs is different one from the next.

"Like there's a song called 'Una Notte a Napoli,' which we wrote with an Italian woman from New York City, Alba Clemente, and Johnny Dynell. They came out to Portland, summer of 2001, to write a song in Italian reminiscent of sort of a street, a town piazza in any Italian city, where people are sauntering around in the middle of the night, and there are bands playing and choruses of people singing."

The group has met with success. Their CDs have sold well and when it comes to touring, their dance card is full. Many of their shows are sold out. Despite that, Lauderdale said that being an independent band in the United States has been an uphill climb. Both albums released so far have been on Pink Martini's own recording label, Heinz, named after Lauderdale's dog.

"We're almost too busy," Lauderdale said by phone from Portland, where he had been home only a few days after performing in Europe. "Everybody in the band likes to have a life. We've been traveling a lot, but it sure beats working under florescent lighting someplace."

So what's the appeal? "The thing is, the music is neighborly and accessible and approachable." He said the group's audiences include the very conservative and the very liberal, grandchildren and grandparents, as well as hipsters. "So it has kind of this broad appeal that brings people together who normally might not necessarily sit next to each other. Which is, in its own sense, like the United Nations."

Pink Martini is half finished with its next CD, "Hey, Eugene," and music from that album will be featured during the Salt Lake concert, as well as music from the first two recordings. "It's the same show we do in Paris and farm country in Oregon and everywhere. So it's going to be all over the map, kind of a whirlwind of different languages and percussion and lots of swirling and twirling."


If you go . . .

What: Pink Martini

Where: Eccles Center for the Performing Arts, 1750 Kearns Blvd., Park City

When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

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How much: $15-$50

Phone: 355-2787 or 888-451-2787

Web: www.arttix.org


E-mail: rcline@desnews.com

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