"exotic, woolgathering and hynotic..." Leonard Cohen Hawaii's artist sings original quiet jazz, world-wide acoustical music

12 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: Smooth Jazz, World-wide Island

Anjani Songs


Details:
Alluring. Sophisticated. Spirited. Timeless. The new CD by acclaimed artist, Anjani is a mesmerizing collection of original songs with elements of acoustical, quiet jazz, and world music. The exquisite dance through passionate love and human frailty, to a state of inner peace and acceptance, is beautifully expressed in this long awaited release.

Anjani portrays affairs of the heart with vision and integrity, in this intimate, revealing, self-produced work. She generates an aura of compassion through astute lyrics that are convincing and uplifting, never banal or predictable. The ultimate reward of this project is a soothing, compelling affirmation of unconditional love.

What sets Anjani 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."

Critics will laud Anjani's debut for the deft handling of diverse musical genres. From "Here and Now," an acoustical soundtrack for life, to the classic style torch ballad, "Over You," to the ki ho'alu (slack key guitar) sound of "Kanaloa," a duet featuring Henry Kapono; every tune is an unexpectedly refreshing offering that reaches far beyond ordinary pop fare.

Distinguished fusion jazz virtuoso, Frank Gambale plays acoustical guitar on five cuts, most notably the latin tinged samba, "Ties That Bind."

A world class rhythm section provides sensitive embellishment to these highly crafted songs. The results are simply stellar--instrumentation never gets in the way of the celestial voice or its message, yet all tracks are sonically balanced.

Anjani's compositions contain many references to nature, reflecting her upbringing in the tropical, verdant, multi-cultured paradise of Hawaii.

Raised by parents who encouraged her interest in music, Anjani was teaching classical piano by the age of 15. This eventually led to a career as a keyboardist for a number of Waikiki's top R&B, jazz and pop artists.

Leonard Cohen, Canada's poet laureate and folk singing icon, calls Anjani's
first solo effort, "exotic, woolgathering and hypnotic." He has attributed her seminal vocal work on his landmark album, "I'm Your Man" as one reason it appeared on so many critic's recent lists for "Ten Best Records of the Decade."

Along with Freddie Ravel (Musical Director for Al Jarreau), Anjani wrote several quiet jazz hits (Jasmine Breeze, Te Quiero, and Over You) for his Polydor releases, Midnight Passion and Sol y Soul.

With vast experience as a singer, songwriter and keyboardist, Anjani can also be heard on records by noted jazz artists Frank Gambale, Osamu Kitajima, and Carl Anderson. According to Anderson, "(the music of) Anjani is the wind and the sun at its soft edges, where shadows merge with light."

Anjani's musical quest has also encompassed the music of her mother's native heritage; as can be heard in the simultaneous release of her CD, "Okinawa Time" by Concept Music International. Listen now, as Anjani surrounds you with the soul and sound of the Asian Pacific.