Splendor in the Grass is the fourth full-length album from the band Pink Martini. It was released on October 27, 2009, on their own label Heinz Records.
The album is named after its third track, and features songs in five languages (English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Neapolitan). Collaborators included National Public Radio correspondent Ari Shapiro singing on the track "But Now I'm Back"Album notes, PinkMartini.com and Sesame Street performer Emilio Delgado on a cover of Joe Raposo's "Sing". Other covers included on the album are "Piensa en mí", written by Agustín Lara and his sister Maria Teresa Lara for the 1948 film Revancha; "Tuca Tuca", originally performed by Raffaella Carrà; and the Moondog song "New Amsterdam".
The instrumental section of the title track, "Splendor in the Grass," from approximately 2:00 to approximately 2:55, is a rendition of the opening movement of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in B Flat Minor.
The album debuted at No. 45 on the Billboard 200 and No. 10 on the Top Independent Albums chart with 12,000 copies sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan.Laura Leebove, "Pink Martini Sips Sweet Indie Success", Billboard.com, November 9, 2009. The album was certified platinum in Greece. In 2010. It was awarded a gold certification from the Independent Music Companies Association which indicated sales of at least 100,000 copies throughout Europe.
Track listing
Personnel
Hugo Alfvén Neil Anderson - Choir, Chorus Jennifer Arnold - Viola Phil Baker - Guitar, Sitar, Bass John Bartley - Choir, Chorus Joel Belgique - Viola Christopher Benjamin - Choir, Chorus Heather Blackburn - Cello Gavin Bondy - Trumpet, Cornet, Alto Horn, Vocals, Piccolo Trumpet, Brass Arrangement Joe Bozzi - Mastering Karen Brooks - Toy Piano João Canziani - Cover Photo Pansy Chang - Cello Julie Coleman - Violin Nicholas Crosa - Violin Brian Davis - Percussion Emilio Delgado - Vocals Daniel Dempsey - Choir, Chorus Gregory Ewer - Violin Joy Fabos - Violin Dan Faehnle - Guitar China Forbes - Vocals Dave Friedlander - Engineer, Mixing Paloma Griffin - Violin Bernie Grundman - Mastering Doree Jarboe - Direction Timothy Jensen - Saxophone, Brass Arrangement, Saxophone Arrangement Ben Landsverk - Group Thomas Lauderdale - Piano, Producer, Photography Maureen Love - Harp Peter Murray - Photography Timothy Nishimoto - Percussion, Vocals Le Double Six de Portland: Catherine van der Salm, Stephanie Kramer, Margie Boulé, Katherine FitzGibbon, Jo Routh, Amy Russell, Cahen Taylor, Daniel Burnett, Barton Rippe, Kevin Walsh, Erik Hundtoft & Keenen Kemper Vocal arrangements by Rick Modlin Charles Noble - Viola Derek Rieth - Percussion Courtney Taylor-Taylor - guitar on "Splendor in the Grass" Salvador Tercero - Vocal Engineer Chavela Vargas - Vocals Martín Zarzar - Percussion, Vocals, Brass Arrangementallmusic, [ Album Credits], retrieved March 4, 2010
Certifications
References
External links Pink Martini - official band page, with audio samples