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" 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. 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.
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 Arrangement