It’s time for another installment in our weekly “Meet Pink Martini” series, a deep dive with the many interesting and unique individuals that make up our “little orchestra”. This week we are featuring our trumpeter Gavin Bondy. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Gavin is an iconic member of Pink Martini, joining the band over 20 years ago, and performing on every Pink Martini album starting with our debut record Sympathique. One of our most recognizable musicians, Gavin also has lent his trumpeting acrobatics to his own classic jazz band, The Shanghai Woolies, and currently also performs with Kate & the Crocodiles. When not tossing plunger mutes in the air after hot trumpet solos, Gavin toils in his garden under the watchful eyes of his coyote dogs Timber and Wiley.

Below are our favorite answers from the list of questions we posed to everyone in the band. Enjoy!

1. If you could have seen any musician in concert, dead or alive, who you never got to see live, who would it be?
Johann Sebastian Bach

2. What is your favorite Pink Martini song to perform?
“Tempo Perdido” from the album “Hey Eugene”

3. What Pink Martini song gets stuck in your head?
“Brazil”

4. If you could have a side gig in any current band, which?
I would love to play with Luis Miguel and Oscar D’Leon

5. If you had a robot that could do one household chore for you… what would it be?
Ironing!

6. If you could instantly be fluent in any language, which?
Spanish and Italian

7. Who is your favorite movie director?
Woody Allen

8. What was the first concert you ever saw?
The National Orchestra of Greece playing “Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra” by Benjamin Britten

9. If you could have one dish from any restaurant appear instantly anytime, which?
Burrata!

10. What’s your favorite sweet/dessert?
Nutella

11. Are you on the party bus or sleepy bus?
sleepy bus, sometimes I like to hang out in the party bus though, haha!

12. What is your favorite non-musical hobby?
Cooking and cleaning!

13. If you were instantly skilled enough to have any one other occupation in the world besides musician, what would you choose?
A cook or an audiophile seller

14. What is your favorite city in the world?
Havana, Paris and Athens

15. What’s the most fun thing about being in Pink Martini?
Traveling the world and making music with all these extraordinary musicians

16. How did you choose your musical instrument?
After I saw a concert of Celia Cruz in Athens, Greece when I was 10 years old. There was an exceptional trombonist in the band that got me amazed, and made me interested in playing a brass instrument.

17. How are you keeping sane and calm during this crisis and these weeks of quarantine?
listening to lots of music, reading, exercising, cooking, talking to friends and family