Customer Reviews
Oo La La Lovin It 
2008-05-01
I first heard of Pink Martini about a year and a half ago when friends invited my hubby and I to a concert Pink Martini was having in Seattle, Washington. Since our friends were offering, we went just for the heck of it. And, boy, are we glad we did! The band reminds me of old days gone by (OK, I'm too young for the big band era but I still enjoy it).
'Sympathique' is my favorite out of all their CDs. It's smooth, upbeat, unique, with a European feel. Love it! It relaxes me every time I play it. And it makes great party/dinner music, too.
Great, but French is terrible 
2008-04-30
The music is really great, but her French accent is so deplorable I can hardly listen to Sympathique. It sounds very American teenager speaking French in a high school class. The music is wonderful if you can deal with that.
Flavored Seltzer Water 
2008-04-23
If you've ever actually had a martini, you know that its one redeeming quality is that it delivers its payload with impact, like being hit in the face with a baseball bat. A martini is Coltrane on Ascension, or Hendrix playing the Star Spangled Banner. Presumably this "little orchestra" settled on the name Pink Martini because it sounded sophisticated and hip. But this music appears designed to have the impact of flavored seltzer; it is effervescent. That is both its single merit and its damnation. While the musicianship cannot be faulted, the music never emerges from being audio wallpaper. If there are dentist's offices in heaven, this CD plays in the waiting rooms.
Much has been made of the rhythms to be found here, and PM surely does love the Latin beat, so much so that one might imagine one's self in a remedial dance academy for jaded adults anxious to learn the tango. Likewise, there has been considerable discussion of the "dark and edgy" rendition of Qué Sera Sera. Granted, it sounds like it was cut from the soundtrack of What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? - but if that's as far out as you go, well, you're in the center of the mainstream. Indeed, universal likeability is precisely what makes Pink Martini the ideal choice for your next Bar Mitzvah.
The star attraction of this mambo combo is singer China Forbes, an art major from Harvard. Forbes has a gorgeous natural instrument and is classically trained. Not only that, she has a wonderful ear, which enables her to sing in various languages convincingly. The moments when she shines are the CD's highpoints. Pink Martini is quite insistent about drawing on the musical traditions of many nations. At first this feels daring, then it starts resembling a parlor trick, and finally it feels like elitist grandstanding the group is engaging in to impress itself.
If you want a martini, pink or blue or green, buy a Sun Ra CD. If you want a CD certain not to upset your 97-year old grandmother as she drifts in and out of her nap, Sympathetique is for you.
Simpatico 2008-02-15
I am definitely simpatico with Pink Martini and this particular album! Sometimes I play it nearly non-stop while cooking, alternating with my other Pink Martinis: HEY EUGENE! and Hang On Little Tomato. I love the mix of languages and styles in all their albums and the wonderfully clear French on the song "Sympathique," which a friend of mine first discovered on a French-language site as a tool for learning the language! And isn't this eerie version of "Que Sera Sera" used on the soundtrack of the film In the Cut?!
Sympathique - fantastic! 2008-01-14
This album is one of the best I've ever purchased. It doesn't fit a specific genre and that's the beauty of it. Excellent selection, best for dancing and just listening. Highly recommended!!!
Funky and fun 2008-06-19
Loved "Sympathique" by Pink Martini...50's music cocktail music with a modern twist. Pink Martini presents a multi-lingual approach with fabulous voices, and great instrumentals. You've got to hear their version of "Que Sera Sera"....
Really good music 2008-06-15
This is a very good album -- not generally my type of music (jazz), but this is really good. China Forbes' voice is beautiful.
Pink Martini is fantastic 2008-06-15
Learned about this group on NPR -- of course -- and they are fabulous. Lead singer China Forbes is astounding, and the "little orchestra" is -- well, just enjoy -- trust me, you'll get every one of their albums, which we hope, will come much more frequently!!! Bravo!
Awesome multi-language music 2008-05-31
This is a great compilation with songs in French, English and Castilian Spanish. Wonderful Latin rhythms.
The best. 2008-05-09
This CD is very upbeat and extremely creative. This is my second one. I wore the first one out.
