You are listening to Midday Edition. I am Tom Fudge. If you get into the international style of music, video part of the Van Pink Martini. If you are listener to public radio I'm quite sure you have heard of Ari Shapiro . But did you know that the to perform together? They have in Europe, in the Hollywood bowl, and tonight, Ari we still going to be a host of all things considered. He join me on the phone in the midst of this tour to talk about his role as journalist rockstar and the show tonight at Humphreys. Ari Shapiro thank you very much for joining us. For people who are poorly with the van, how would you describe the music of Pink Martini? The bandleader, Thomas Lauderdale, likes to say it is the United's nations -- if the United Nations had a house band in 1962 it would be Pink Martini. Is a wide range of styles many sound like they could of been from decades ago and the band also performs and a wide variety of languages. Some of the songs are kind of surprising takes up familiar tunes like tea for two are never on Sunday, but the band has some original songs. The most well-known is sent pratique -- [ Indiscernible ]. And there's a song called hang on little tomato. A lot of friends might play for dinner parties, that a concert it's great to dance to. How did you become a member of this group? I grew up in Portland which is where the band is from there so when I was in high school, they were a local Bando never. I went to their shows it now defunct venues around my hometown. I was a huge fan. After college I became friends with them. I lived in Washington DC and when they came through town for a concert I had them over for lunch or dinner. One night in 2008 I had the band over for a barbecue on my patio. It went late into the night and turned into a sing-along around the piano. The next day the bandleader, Thomas, said why don't to sing a song on her next album? Of course I have been a fan for years and I imagine this would never happen. So I thought, yes I would love to. Then the next thing I knew I was in Portland recording with the van there now here we are -- recording with the band. Now here we are and I have become a frequent guest, part-time been number, just this kind of wonderful alternate reality when I am not making journalism. You are in -- your NPR bio says you are an occasional singer. I would say that is accurate. How did you get involved in this prior to martini? I never sang with a band before think martini. I've done musical theater, I had sung in courses I sang as a kid. I sang in college. But when I finished college, I left that by the wayside. It was a good 10 years later until Pink Martini and asked if I would be interested in singing. I really had not sung in years it's fair to say the first time I ever sung in public with a band was in front of 18,000 people at the Hollywood bowl in Los Angeles with the martini. How exciting. I know everybody at this point is curious to hear how NPR's national correspondent actually sounds when he sings. There is Ari Shapiro in Pink Martini with Ari singing, but now I am back. [ Music ] That is an interesting story that goes with that song. The band was inspired by a piece of music by Schubert it was fantasy in a short major for four hands work . they took that theme and set it to a Latin lyric -- Latin music and wrote lyrics from the perspective of a woman whose lover is always leaving her. When they approached me, they had the concept for a song that would take the same theme and put it in a different key and replace the Latin beat with the swing the big band feel and have the song from the perspective of the man outside the door leading to the call back in called, but now I'm back. When asked me to record with them, they had the idea for, but now I'm back, and they had written a couple lines but they did not have the song written. So on the album, but now I'm back, is aired and the follow-up song based are -- both are based on the same Schubert melody. You're a good Ari. Thanks. You were the London correspondent. Is the martini begin bringing? The band is maybe even bigger in Europe than in the US. In the US, we have played incredible venues and the band a sold-out Carnegie Hall. But in Europe, where almost treated like rock stars. It is crazy maybe because there's not a lot of American visiting in the family which is. I perform at the event in London and the Royal outer hall, the Southbank center, Hammersmith Apollo theater, London's greatest venues. One amazing show it to gardens -- Q Gardens. One of the great things as you go to is terrible and Paris Apple are familiar with the music and a chair and sing-along. They're very enthusiastic about the martini. I spoke with one of my coworkers KPBS and she said she had her think martini. She's there very international. Cemented in a good way. But you do seeing in several languages. What are some of them? We are -- In addition to French we heard that. We have not yet recorded where form that -- both are performing a song in Armenian. I joked because it was at we had a Turkish song, we needed to make sure we had a great song. And then because we had Turkish and Greek, to be fair we needed an Armenian song. It is actually wonderful to learn these lyrics in new languages. Over the course of my time with the martini I have sung with the band in French, Spanish, Turkish, Greek, Latina, Hebrew, Armenian and I'm sure there's other language i'm not thinking of. Arabic. There are a few others to. You are listening to Midday Edition and I am talking to National Public Radio and shoot into the NPR anchor Ari Shapiro. Ari, are the similarities performing on the radio and in front of call -- crowds of people. The similarity is wanting to connect the people. You want to give people a reason to listen to you. The trap you fall into is thinking that the listeners over to us to listen to us. In fact we have to earn the interest of people. I think that's true whether were talking about singing music or reporting the news. You have to get a reason to pay attention. You can't just assume that because your saying something or because your singing something that people want to listen to what you have to say. So singing with the band a relaxing break from journalism? It is a pic from journalism but it's not relaxing. It's thrilling and exciting. It is an adrenaline rush and it is scary and it is incredible fun. There's so much camaraderie and the band are wonderful and unique such great music that I am still a fan of even though I now share the stage with them for a few songs every show. I use my vacation days to do this. It is a break from journalism. I would not call it work. But I would not call it relaxing either. Is there a show that really stands out in your mind because it was so thrilling? Or maybe disastrous? There are so many of them. I can remember sort of what we've been thought was the height of the Greek crisis the great crisis just feels like it keeps getting worse and worse now. I remember going with a man to Athens Greece. Performed at the Mount Dennis is one of the two tallest peaks in Athens one has the Acropolis and one has his outdoor amphitheater. It was a hot day in the middle of August. The crowd was young and enthusiastic and they were cheering and applauding. There were people sitting on the rock outcroppings did not have tickets to the show for listening way up on the cliffs. It felt like a moment of joy in what was obviously a very bleak time. People were just dancing and sing-along and clearly having such a wonderful time. Are having a wonderful time. It was sweltering. The cicadas were humming in the trees. This felt like what music can do. This is the value that music adds. When things are so difficult music can be a release, a joy costs and escape. That was a very memorable show. I don't think tonight you will be sweltering at Frese. Humphrey's. Is a cool place on the water had never performed or before? Know I have toured in California with the band a lot but never had the opportunity to go to San Diego. They talk about what a gorgeous venue Humphrey's is . In the band have been talking about how excited they are to play it Humphrey's . I cannot wait to see it for myself. Let's talk a little bit about your new job at National Public Radio. You are going to be an anchor for all things considered. That's right. I will one of four hose on the show. In addition to the other two anchors. I will be joining along with Kelly MacGyver's. It will be the first thing that all things considered has four hosts. It is also the first time with somebody on the West Coast from Los Angeles morning edition has always had Renée Mantegna. I hope that both of those things, the bicoastal presence and having four people means we will be able to have the show out of the studio a little more. Take the conversation to our listeners and to our audience it go where the news is happening. Maybe the more nimble and less tied to the studio that we have been. Since it is Ari Shapiro you never know he is going to break into song. We have to look forward to hearing it. Re: thank you very much for joining us. It has been a pleasure thank you for having me.
Longtime NPR journalist Ari Shapiro switched mics in September when he took center stage with Pink Martini at Humphrey's, serving up bubbly cocktail tunes with a modern twist.
Shapiro is taking a short break from the newsroom as he tours with the band as a guest singer. He has performed and recorded with the group for the past six years.
When he finishes with the tour, Shapiro starts his new role at NPR as one of the hosts of the afternoon program All Things Considered.
