'AISHA KHAN & HER RAJAHS' LIT THE ROOM ON FIRE AT ‘16 TONELADAS’ • 24/7 Valencia

The 90 minute show took fans to a musical place swing, jump music and early rock and roll. Setting the mood before Aisha Khan strolled in, the band opened with a fast tempo, warm-up instrument a là Louis Jordan. A saxophone led rallying call for the evening’s musical ramble of Jump blues, and early rock and roll boogie. Dressed to kill, Khan donned a bright red dress, deep magenta-coloured 1950s bobbed hairstyle with complimentary jewellery. She was every bit centre stage!

Dada… da, da. Enter the choppy guitar riff of Johnny Guitar Watson’s classic blues hit Gangster of Love. Khan brought an alluring aspect to her lyrics. “I was born standing up and talking back.” Then, mid-song, we quickly got a taste of Mal Barkley’s smokin’ guitar chops as he burned through an incredible solo… with much more to come through the night.

From her 2017 release Aishaddiction, Khan sang as the seductress warning an unaware girlfriend to watch out for her man as she is the Wolf At The Door. The irresistible second-line hey-bo-diddley beat kept the charge. Ending in her big wolf howl. Some full moon going on there….

Next was a new song from their just released Seven Shades of Blues. A boogie blues number titled Cocaine Habit Blues. It was expectedly upbeat.

Perhaps under the influence of the previous song, Up My Street was a real jazzy hipshaker. Suggestive lyrics, Khan pleaded her desires. “You have a one way ticket to my arms for sure. When you are in my bedroom, I’m going to lock the door…” Great solos by both Al Nichols (sax) and Barkley (guitar). It ended with James Johnson’s tribal bass drum beat. That rhythm that scared teenage parents of the 1950s. No one would have guessed that Johnson was a last minute stand-in for the tour. He was a seamless fit.

Debuting the new title track Seven Shades of Blue, it was a laidback, haunting minor key heartbreaker. A fitting song to drown one’s sorrows. Turning the tables, When Hell Freezes is an upbeat jump-blues-ese arrangement juxtaposed to every catchy way to say that we ain’t getting together. “On the twelfth of a never, I’ll be your forever…”

Paying homage to Khan’s favorite beverage ‘El Bandarra’, a Spanish vermouth, she sang about drinking it on the hour, every hour. The walking bass with the whole arrangement was tight as the details of progressive drinking got loose. This one begs for an answer song about the subsequent hangover.

Another new song, Lucky Number 13 conjures whammy bar surf guitar bends, spaghetti westerns and shuffles with clever lyrics journeying to a happy finale where her baby came home. Pushing to the darkside Chop Chop is about killing her boyfriend. Paradoxically the upbeat jam cloaks the macabre theme. Miss Fridge is a 12 bar blues number where Khan wails her pain. “They call me Miss Frigidaire because my heart is cold as ice.”

Green Eyed was a fast boogie jam with the frenetic energy to match the lyrical storyline of jealousy. It was Car-chase dangerous and thrilling too. Ending with the guitar riff breaking down to a slow fade like pursuit car that just ran out of petrol. So subtly done.

The energy notched up with the latin vibe Take a Chance (on me): it was sensual, sultry and danceable. Then they closed the main set with a fan favorite, the Joe Lewis blues powerhouse Good Morning Midnight. Back for a two song encore they wrapped with the finger-snapping Baby Shake where Matt Radford’s double bass carried the tune. Khan’s lyrics were as naughty as it got. Then Khan celebrated her man who is so guapo he can Make A Grown Women Cry. A fitting grande finale.

This show took the audience to a magical, storied place. Aisha Khan & her Rajahs seduce, enchant and deliver music that makes you dance, laugh and abandon the day’s worries.

Report by Phillip Solomonson

Article copyright ‘24/7 Valencia’

Photos copyright Phillip Solomonson/ ’24/7 Valencia’

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‘AISHA KHAN & HER RAJAHS’

Set list

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Instrumental Opening

Gangster

Wolf At The Door.

Cocaine

Up My Street