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| Columbia Records Debut Album from Anjani Thomas Columbia Records is set to release Blue Alert, the eagerly-awaited major label debut album from vocalist/songwriter/instrumentalist Anjani Thomas, on Tuesday, May 23. For Blue Alert, Anjani collaborated with mentor Leonard Cohen on a groundbreaking collection of "bittersweet love songs." Blue Alert is co-written and produced by Leonard Cohen. Anjani was first introduced to Leonard Cohen in 1984. She first sang backup with the musical/literary legend on 1985's Various Positions, which included her haunting background vocals on Cohen's original recording of his signature "Hallelujah." Later that same year, Anjani joined Cohen's "Various Positions" World Tour as a keyboardist/vocalist and has gone on to sing on subsequent Leonard Cohen albums including I'm Your Man (1988), The Future (1992), and Dear Heather (2004). In 2005 Leonard Cohen suggested to Anjani that together they try a new approach to music. The result of this marriage of extraordinary sensibilities is Blue Alert. "Anjani's music is exotic, dreamy and hypnotic, " said Leonard Cohen of his protege's new music on Blue Alert. "Anjani's voice dropped from her throat to her heart. She was always a great singer, but now she's a world class singer, in full command of an unforgettable voice." Anjani calls Blue Alert " ... the most lyrically rich and musically satisfying project I've had the honor of working on." Born Anjani Thomas in Honolulu, Hawaii, the emerging artist trained in guitar, piano and voice before attending Boston's prestigious Berklee College of Music. After moving to Manhattan, Anjani further honed her musicianship in jazz clubs. She is proud to have had the privilege to work with such jazz luminaries as Carl Anderson, Frank Gambale, and Stanley Clarke, among others. In 2002, Anjani released her self-titled independent CD, which showcases an innovative blend of jazz, folk and Hawaiian influences, including a duet with famed Hawaiian musician Henry Kapono. She followed her debut with the stirring Sacred Names project, an inspirational meditation on the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek names of God. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |