The Aneesa Chaudhry Band

Aneesa Chaudhry is a force of nature and a force to be reckoned with. Her voice is extraordinary in so many senses, range, tone, style… proving that this is not simply a voice of fashion, and there are plenty of those around, but a real voice full of real musical talent and skill – weapon quality! In this lies her power but perhaps her shortcoming too. Given such skill Aneesa can tackle pretty much anything – and does. It means that an evening of song with her is a white knuckle ride of styles and musical genre – ballads, jazz classics, rock, swing… Asian fusion… Fascinating as this is, and amazing value at the price, it does leave your head in a spin.
Backed by a band of accomplished musicians and musical guests she launched into Sometime’s I’m Happy, All of Me and Take Five, jazz standards maybe but in no way delivered in a standard way. She then gave us a striking rendition of My Funny Valentine that was spine tinglingly good, and proof perhaps that she needs to focus on the more eclectic arrangements that proved to be the high points of her set. Tera Chera had us all on the edges of our seats and Guappa Chica gave us much to think about too.
Sadly I felt her Joni Mitchell number fell wide of the mark and Every Time We Say Goodbye too but with a set of over 20 numbers you cannot please everyone all of the time.
Aneesa is a pure talent, a chameleon chanteuse – and she looks great too, cheekily flirting with her audience and winning us over every minute of the way.
Personally I found the wide range of styles at times too much and, dare I say it, the jazz trait of gifting all the band members with extensive solos went a step too far. Nit picking? Maybe be, but when a gig is this good it would bland and dull to simply say that Aneesa Chaudhry is bloody brilliant!
The Brunswick
7 December
Andrew Kay
4.5 stars