Chinese jazz singer Annie Chen and her band have wowed New Yorkers at Club Bonafide, located along Manhattan's historic jazz street in Midtown East. 

Chen is described as a "small woman with a big voice.” Jazz is a music genre that might be foreign to many in China, but the Beijing-born vocalist and composer has captured the sound and made it her own.

She began studying piano at the age of four and has performed extensively in China. But it was her passion for jazz that made her stand out in China's nascent jazz scene. Her love for the voices of Billie Holiday, Carmen McRae and Betty Carter eventually drew her to New York. 

"When I came here, I was already kind of famous in China, performing at clubs and jazz festivals. But when I arrived here, nobody knew who I was. You need to start from zero to build your project, to build your band," said Chen.

The work has paid off, she says playing to an audience with a deep appreciation of the genre strikes a major chord with her.