Anjani - Blue Alert

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:36
Size: 93,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:39)  1. Blue Alert
(3:15)  2. Innermost Door
(3:08)  3. The Golden Gate
(4:06)  4. Half The Perfect World
(3:00)  5. Nightingale
(4:09)  6. No One After You
(4:36)  7. Never Got To Love You
(3:07)  8. The Mist
(4:51)  9. Crazy To Love You
(4:38) 10. Thanks For The Dance

With its program of popular songs by Leonard Cohen and Anjani Thomas, Blue Alert settles in gently for an audience in love. Don't look for sheets of riveting sound to fill the room with propulsive action, or thunderous backbeats to shake your bones in a fascinating rhythmic groove. This is not that kind of album. Anjani's performance brings out the beauty of each song through natural means as she warms with piano and keyboard in support of her evocative vocals. Anjani's clear alto voice creates a beautiful session that sparkles with natural charm. She pours country feeling and blue emotions into each selection, interpreting lyrics convincingly and offering wordless phrases to complement her tales with a solid caress. The accompaniment is kept to a minimum, so that we may remain in touch with her voice. And it works. The lovely session reveals a natural voice in touch with a broad audience. She touches everyone with her unique ballad interpretations. Born in Honolulu and schooled at Berklee, Anjani plays piano and keyboards to accompany her dreamy vocals. She sings with the honesty of a folk singer in love with her songs. "Thanks for the Dance comes with a mesmerizing waltz-time rhythm. "The Golden Gate takes a look back at fond memories with a positive glow. "No One After You professes undying love through poignant lyrics that Anjani interprets convincingly. "Crazy to Love You adds a string quartet for a dash of color; however, the focus remains on Anjani's lovely voice and her vivid interpretations. ~ Jim Santella https://www.allaboutjazz.com/blue-alert-anjani-columbia-records-review-by-jim-santella.php
 

Personnel: Anjani: vocals, piano; John Lissauer: baritone saxophone, clarinet, keyboards; Greg Liesz: lap steel guitar; Danny Frankel: drums; Bruce Dukov, Brian Leonard: violin; Pam Goldsmith: viola; Larry Corbett: cello.

Blue Alert

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Anjani - Anjani

Styles: Vocal

Year: 2000

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 49:58

Size: 116,1 MB

Art: Front

(3:55)  1. Here And Now

(3:15)  2. How I Love You

(5:51)  3. Angel By Your Side

(4:15)  4. Kanaloa

(3:10)  5. Shelter For My Soul

(3:48)  6. Queen Of Your Heart

(4:37)  7. Ties That Bind

(4:41)  8. Ain't Foolin' No One

(4:21)  9. Over You

(3:03) 10. What's Left Of Our Dream

(5:42) 11. The Spirit Of Love

(3:14) 12. Silver Diamonds

This is the first solo cd by Anjani, who later went on to collaborate with Leonard Cohen on a quietly seductive record titled, Blue Alert. This self-titled CD is a cool collection of original acoustic, smooth jazz, and world music. These songs contain many references to Anjani's upbringing in the tropical, multi-cultured paradise of Hawaii. Anjani takes you on an intimate journey of revelation and celebration, portraying affairs of the heart with vision and integrity. What sets her apart from other vocally blessed singer/songwriters is her mastery of the keyboard. In the words of one reviewer, The arrangement on this song (Ain t Foolin No One) is so subtle and well filled out, it is a while before you realize it is only voice and piano, with no other accompanying instruments. Comfortable playing in diverse musical genres from jazz torch ballad (Over You) to ki ho alu (slack key guitar duet with Henry Kapono); and Okinawan melodies (Spirit of Love), each tune is an unexpected offering that reaches beyond pop fare. Fusion jazz virtuoso, Frank Gambale plays superb acoustic guitar on five cuts, most notably the latin tinged samba, Ties That Bind.

Anjani says, For years I wanted to do a record but I never got beyond the dream state. Lovers of enchanting ballads and heartfelt, sensuous imagery woven into wonderfully crafted songs, will be glad this artist started putting her dreams down onto disc. On one of the finest cuts, How I Love You, the mood is slow and mesmeric with gradual build-ups to, Wonder, magic, wild abandon, dance of passion There are several of these before we are brought to ground again, with the knowing melancholia of the final line: Time will tell me, how you love me. There is an ethereal, other worldly quality running through many of these songs, and moments of homespun philosophy too. There are no bad tracks and all the songs are well crafted poetic statements. There is a maturity about this work that belies its debut status. The song arrangements and lyrics are obviously the work of someone who has spent considerable time and patience honing her craft. On the first cut of the record Anjani tells us she is getting off to a late start. All I can say is whatever it took for this talent to ripen, judging by this stunning first record, it has been well worth the wait. ~ Stephen Carr Japan Update

Anjani, Hawaii-born, half-Okinawan, has released a self-titled, classy and superbly-produced beauty of a CD. The 12-song debut has elements of pop, folk, jazz and world music presented with an easy spirit and fresh finesse. Kanaloa, a stunning duet with Henry Kapono, is a gorgeous Hawaiian language tribute to the island of Kaho'olawe and is probably the most beautiful song on the CD. All in all, Anjani exhibits talent and authenticity with endless possibilities. ~ Les Reynolds Indie-Music.com

The first locally released album by Hawaii expatriate Anjani, is a beautiful calling card. All the songs are new; she wrote most and co-wrote the others. They create a musical portrait that opens with singles bar patter ( I m a Virgo moon with a Leo heart ) then gels as a memorable chronicle of life and love. Kanaloa, sung as a duet with Henry Kapono while Ozzie Kotani plays guitar, adds a sense of her island roots. Anjani is a soothing musical experience. ~ John Berger Honolulu Star Bulletin – Editorial Reviews http://www.amazon.com/Anjani-Thomas/dp/B000CADTHY

Anjani

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Anjani - I Came To Love

Size: 100,5 MB
Time: 43:08
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz/Folk Vocals
Art: Front

01. Standing On The Stairs (5:40)
02. Love In Between (3:47)
03. Holy Ground (4:00)
04. Song To Make Me Still (3:07)
05. I Came To Love (4:34)
06. The Goal (3:45)
07. Clean Slate (4:27)
08. Love Be A River (4:13)
09. I'd Still Have You (2:55)
10. Weather A Storm With You (6:35)

I Came To Love is the new album by Hawaiian-born singer Anjani Thomas who has strong family connections with Okinawa. Several years ago she made the album Okinawa Time which featured some of her own re-written versions of Okinawan songs by Rinken Teruya. Since that time she has found fame for her collaborations with Leonard Cohen and her last solo album Blue Alert was entirely co-written with Cohen and produced by him.

It’s already eight years since the excellent Blue Alert and a lot has happened since then, though Anjani’s fans must have begun to wonder whether this long promised new album was ever going to materialise. Well, the extended wait has been worth it and I Came To Love stands up very well alongside its predecessor. The album includes three songs co-written with Cohen (one of these an adaptation of an early poem). The other seven compositions are entirely the work of Anjani who plays piano and keyboards with a select band of handpicked musicians including country music giant Larry Campbell, renowned flamenco guitarist Pavlo, and co-producer Jerry Marotta on bass and percussion.

Anjani has obviously absorbed much of the songwriting and recording process from Cohen but at the same time she seems to have grasped a new freedom in following a somewhat different path of her own here and the results are more varied and more interesting than ever. ‘Standing on the Stairs’ begins the album in almost identical fashion to Blue Alert with its minimalist but sophisticated jazzy arrangement complementing her clear and precisely enunciated vocals. But just when we think we know exactly where this is going we get the countrified ‘Love in Between’ and then the folk-bluesy ‘Holy Ground’.

The title track which is the centrepiece of the album expertly contrasts light and shade and almost rocks out in parts as does the following ‘The Goal’. One of the most compelling songs is ‘Clean Slate’ which seems to sum up a theme of rebirth and regeneration which runs through much of an album concerned with love and reflections on life’s twists and turns. In a twist of her own, ‘Love Be a River’ is positively European with its guitar, bouzouki and accordion rising and falling along with the vocal.

I Came To Love was recorded in a variety of locations over a period of six years. It has no obvious standout tracks. Instead the album hangs together as a single statement and the initial impressions get better with every listen.

I Came To Love

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