By Nanette Wiser
PINK MARTINI On 2/10, one of my favorite bands returns to the Duke Energy Center for the Arts – Mahaffey Theater. Drawing inspiration from music found all over the world – crossing genres of classical, jazz, and old-fashioned pop – Thomas Lauderdale founded the “little orchestra” Pink Martini in 1994. One year later, Lauderdale called China Forbes, a Harvard classmate who was living in New York City, and asked her to join Pink Martini. The pair began to write songs together. Their first song “Sympathique (Je ne veux pas travailler)” became an overnight sensation in France and was nominated for “Song of the Year” at France’s Victoires de la Musique Awards. Featuring a dozen musicians, with songs in 25 languages, Pink Martini performs its multilingual repertoire on concert stages and with symphony orchestras around the world and released 11 studio albums on its own independent label Heinz Records (named after Lauderdale’s dog), selling over 3 million albums worldwide.
BLUEGRASS with NITROGRASS Enjoy two Tampa Bay concerts in January at the EDGE Rooftop Cocktail Lounge atop the Epicurean Hotel in Tampa 1/16 and The Front Lawn at Fenway Hotel in Dunedin 1/17. Consisting of members Charles Wood, Darren Nicholson and Colby Laney, NITROGRASS is known for its carefree yet exciting brand of bluegrass and sonically unique and visually appealing acoustic performances. The percussive banjo of two-time national champion Charles Wood lays the foundation for the band’s unique style. Merging Scruggs-style banjo with rhythmic motifs reminiscent of ZZ Top and the Allman Brothers, Woods’ playing is melodic in its sensibility with pure, driving syncopation. Woods has previously played on The Late Show with David Letterman, A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor, and at the 2005 New Yorker Festival with actor and accomplished banjo player Steve Martin, Earl Scruggs, Pete Wernick and Tony Ellis. Darren Nicholson is a bluegrass and Americana musician based in Haywood County, in the mountains of western North Carolina. A Grammy nominee and a recipient of multiple International Bluegrass Music Association Awards, Nicholson has appeared countless times on WSM’s Grand Ole Opry, at the Ryman Auditorium, CMT, GAC, and many of the world’s most famous venues and networks. A renowned solo artist, session musician, and songwriter, he currently records and tours as a full-time, founding member of Balsam Range, with numerous collaborative efforts each year.
GIMME BLUES On 1/19, the legendary Rusty Wright Band performs at the Floridian Social Club and at OCC Roadhouse 4/22. Guitarist and singer Rusty Wright delivers musical heat and infectious grooves. This Master Blues Artist is in the International Blues Hall of Fame and his band is razor-tight, performing Southern rock and Detroit blues with wife and singer-guitarist Laurie Wright, keyboard player Robert John Manzitti, drummer Marc Friedman and bassist Dennis Bellinger (Grand Funk Railroad). He sums up his style with this quote: “You should never be afraid of writing a song that makes people think. Music is about making people engage. You might take some heat for it but as long as you’re being honest, there will always be people who get it.”
TUNE IN, TURN OUT The Tampa Bay Blues Festival returns to Vinoy Waterfront Park, St. Petersburg 4/14-4/16 with a stellar line-up featuring artists Robert Cray, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Tower of Power, Tab Benoit, Tommy Castro, Ana Popvic, Colin James, Vanessa Collier, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Chris Cain, Dawn Taylor Watson, MR Sipp, Jimmy Carpenter, Larry McCray, JT Lauritsen & The Buckshot Hunters. Each year since 1995, some of the biggest names in blues music have taken the stage at the Tampa Bay Blues Festival in St. Petersburg. Proceeds from the event benefit PARC.www.tampabaybluesfest.com