Two Anjani Performances On Her Birthday

Happy Birthday, Anjani Thomas

I can’t think of a better way of celebrating Anjani’s natal day than simply posting two of her performances that are special favorites of mine.

Anjani Thomas – 1985

Anjani Thomas Stars On Jools Holland Show

Although Anjani sang “Innermost Door” on the Jools Holland Show as part of the promotion of the Blue Alert album in 2007, this video didn’t surface online until two years later.¹

When asked about about this performance, Anjani responded,

I was so honored to do on this show. Jools’ love for music and musicians is so real and supportive, and he’s a such a versatile artist that he played keyboards for The White Stripes in the same show!

This was filmed in a cavernous studio that was refrigerator cold. I could actually see my breath in the dressing room and had to wrap myself up in a towel and jump up and down to stay warm.

I was really happy that Jools’ played piano for me so I could focus on the vocal and not worry about my shivering hands.

When Meg and Jack came on the decibel level went off the charts. I have never heard a band make so much music out of guitar, bass and drums…

There was so much energy in the room it seemed to encourage the other bands on the show to play even louder to make an impression.

Talk about feeling old — I had my fingers in my ears for most of the filming! But it was a thrill and definitely the highlight of that tour.

What I wrote when I first posted this video in 2009 is as true today as it was then:

In light of the production values of the recording and, frigid environs notwithstanding, the quality of Anjani’s own performance, this may be the best video of her work.

Anjani – The Innermost Door (Jools Holland Show – June 1, 2007)

The Duets: Anjani & Leonard Cohen Sing Never Got To Love You & Whither Thou Goest

One reason these duets are among my favorites is that the Heck Of A Guy site was privileged, thanks to Apolinary POlek, who provided the recordings from a radio broadcast, to be the first online source of the duets Anjani and Leonard Cohen sang in Warsaw in 2007.²

Leonard Cohen and Anjani Duet – Warsaw 2007

The duets in the following video were performed at the April 24, 2007 Leonard Cohen Presents Anjani concert at Joe’s Pub in New York.

Credit Due Department: Photo atop post is by Tom Stockill. The 1985 photo of Anjani is a video screen capture, as is shot of Anjani just under the heading, “Anjani Thomas Stars On Jools Holland Show.” The close-up of Anjani and Leonard Cohen singing at Joe’s Pub was found at BrooklynVegan. The photo of Leonard Cohen and Anjani singing in Warsaw was found at Polskie Radio.