Blue Alert

Corinne Bailey Rae When soul music is at its finest, a great vocalist can take you along on a journey into their sadness, loneliness, joy, and passion. When mixing that voice with horns, harmonies, and a bluesy Hammond organ, that same music can seamlessly travel across decades. Many new artists cl...	The Greatest If you are an artist at a crossroads/ "maturing point" in your career, it's a great idea to seek out the original musicians who played on music you adore and that inspire you greatly-it's the opposite of what Rick Rubin does with the old folks. The results, however, are often lac...	John the Wolfking of L.A.	Love It begins with a twittering of birdsong lifted from "Across the Universe." And once the triple-tracked a capella harmonies of "Because" enter, followed by snatches from "A Hard Day's Night" and "The End," leading into a fired-up "Get Back," it becomes obvious that this is far mor...	Not Too Late Although the music of Norah Jones continues to blend pop, soul, folk, and country with a seasoning of jazz, her third album for Blue Note is the first where she's written (or collaborated on) all the material. Beneath the smooth surface lie darker strains on the album-opening "...
Voyage He's always received second billing to Stephen Stills in Crosby, Stills, and Nash, and once played third fiddle to Roger McGuinn and Gene Clark in the Byrds, but there is no doubt that David Crosby is one of the true originals of a folk-rock style that has paralleled his 40-year ...	Talk to La Bomb It's not a bright and sunny day in the land of Brazilian Girls anymore. That's the message one might take from "Jique," the opening track of this, their second album. In concert, they've performed "Jique" more playfully, but on Talk to La Bomb, a snarling bass-line and juggernaut...	Book of Longing Leonard Cohen wrote the poems in Book of Longing—his first book of poetry in more than twenty years—during his five-year stay at a Zen monastery on Southern California's Mount Baldy, and in Los Angeles, Montreal, and Mumbai. This dazzling collection is enhanced by th...	Leonard Cohen I'm Your Man Sure to please both die-hard cohen fans & the newly initiated this film is full of captivating music & offers an intimate portrait of a truly singular artist poet songwriter & cultural icon. Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 08/28/2007 Run time: 103 minutes Rating: Pg13	Begin to Hope The style known as "anti-folk," as realized by practitioners like Ani DiFranco and Billy Bragg, is derived from a punk aesthetic, and thus tends to be spare and confrontational. But while Regina Spektor's music is anti-folk in the way it subverts the traditional coffeehouse vibe,...

Life before Norah Jones
Pianist Anjani Thomas has been doing her thing for decades, usually spending most of her time collaborating with her mentor, Leonard Cohen. And her latest release Blue Alert is nothing short of excellence. Those of you that aren't fans of "piano jazz" (for lack of a better term) probably won't think much of this album because you might think that all the songs blend into each other, but in MY opinion, the album never runs out of gems. Standouts include the title track, "Nightingale" and "Never Got to Love You". Also stellar are relationship turmoil songs like the final two, "Crazy to Love You" and "Thanks for the Dance". And everything else is great, too. If you want to hear some good coffee shop music right in your home, then put yourself on blue alert and pick up this disc. Anthony Rupert

Delightfully refreshing
First of all you need to know that I am great Leonard Cohen fan. I love his lyrics and his voice and tend not to like other artists' renditions of his songs. So it was with some trepidation that I bought the CD by Anjani. I knew it was based on Leonard's lyrics and it has been a long time since Leonard came out with a new CD. Well, I was thrilled listening to Anjani! Her voice is filled with all the 'soulful' nuances, the richness that Leonard brings to his songs. It is definitely not Leonard's voice, it is distinctly her own.

Where have I been?
I'd never heard of Anjani, but listened to a couple of lines on the Amazon link and liked what I heard. I love this CD! Songs written with or by Leonard Cohen just put the icing on the cake for me.

Blue Alert
Anjani Blue Alert Sony Legacy For years people wondered who the new Dylan would be. Funny, nobody wondered who the new Leonard Cohen would be. Well for those of you who even silently wondered, former Cohen background singer and now creative partner Anjani makes a gorgeous debut with Blue Alert, an album of Cohen's lyrics set to jazz-based piano arrangements. Minutes into the CD you feel as if you are inside a NYC jazz club. The night outside is miles away and you want to spend the night with her. You forget yourself and tomorrow may never come. It all works quite well. The album's crowning achievement is "Nightingale," If you are a fan of Cohen's poetry and also like sultry jazz vocals, this CD is a must have addition to your collection.

Smooth, lovely collection
This is a deceptively simple group of songs. Don't mistake its gentle pace and laidback presentation for a lack of emotion and feeling. It's beauty is in its understatement. I think Anjani does a great job of interpreting Leonard Cohen's lyrics and songs. Anjani's voice is sweet and engaging as she sings these ballads, thoroughly connecting with the content of the lyrics and presenting a smooth, lovely collection. This partnership should continue and Cohen should record his next CD with Anjani--she adds a special dimension to his lyrics with her beautifully constructed yet simple arrangements.