Unlike most jazz singers who keep an emotional distance from their material—singing notes and not feelings—Brandes does just the opposite. Here is a jazz singer who puts her heart in her music; there are times when she evokes stunning vulnerability on stage.

Her voice is an adequate instrument; it has tremulous quality that dovetails nicely with the pathos that she so often projects. Whether singing standards like “My Funny Valentine” or material of her own, Brandes comes across as a singular singer.