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You're going to hear a lot from Norah Jones this year. Guaranteed. The 22-year-old singer and pianist's musical pedigree is a pretty impressive one; she's the daughter of sitar master Ravi Shankar. Jones was born in Brooklyn and later raised by her mother in Dallas. Jazz and country classics
"Come Away With Me"
find a new voice
Norah Jones (Blue Note)
Review by Gary C.W. Chun
gchun@starbulletin.comAfter graduating from the same performance arts high school that produced Erykah Badu, she majored in jazz piano at the University of North Texas before taking what she thought would be just a summer's stay in New York City. Taken by the Big Apple's fertile club music scene, Jones remained and has since become known for her intimate and nuanced songs that combine elements of jazz, country, folk and gospel.
If comparisons must be made, she's like Fiona Apple (but without the angst) or a younger version of jazz vocalist Cassandra Wilson (but not as venturesome).
"I'm not into singers who do a lot of acrobatics," Jones said in a brief article in ICE magazine, publicizing her album to be released Tuesday. "A great singer can get the song across with heart and feeling. I think Nina Simone does it really well. Etta James, Aretha Franklin -- there are only a few people who can do that and show you how much they have behind their voice. But when they do it, they're doing it because they feel it. They're not doing it because it's cool.
"I'm not inspired by music of today -- I'm inspired by music of yesterday," she said in a recent issue of Rolling Stone magazine. "I was a jazz nerd in high school: I listened to Bill Evans, but I also loved my mom's Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles records. Old music is just so badass and original."
And now it's time for the rest of America to discover this young, old-school talent. With the light-handed and assured help of producer Arif Mardin, her debut album shapes up to be a sophisticated and beautifully arranged piece of work, just perfect for nighttime listening.
It's pretty much a low-key affair, with Jones basically accompanied by her band mates Jesse Harris on acoustic guitar, upright bassist (and boyfriend) Lee Alexander and Dan Rieser on drums. There's also some additional support by great jazz musicians such as guitarist Bill Frisell and drummer Brian Blade.
Harris wrote the lead track, "Don't Know Why," a first-take recording taken right off the demo tape that got Jones signed to the venerable jazz label. New guitar and vocal parts were overdubbed for the album. That quiet sparkle of a song sets the tone for the remainder of the album.
While much of the album is of a mood, Jones' potential shines when she steps it a bit more vocally, displaying a knowing, longing look at love's promises on "Feelin' the Same Way," "Shoot the Moon" and a Latin mysterioso vibe on "I've Got to See You Again." Her best vocal can be found on "Turn Me On," a sly, gospel-like number where Jones' feelings lean more to the profane than the sacred, "(her) glass ... waiting for some fresh ice cubes."
She adds an urbane patina to Hank Williams' country classic "Cold Cold Heart" and ends the album on a lovely note, covering Hoagy Carmichael's "The Nearness of You" with just her voice and piano.
There's no doubt that the girl's on her way up. She finishes up a four-night run tonight as the opening act for Willie Nelson's San Francisco concerts. Nelson invited her to be on the bill, something that brings Jones' musical journey full circle, having grown up hearing his records at her grandma's house in Oklahoma.
Norah Jones knows she has a long way to go, but you couldn't ask for a more auspicious debut in "Come Away With Me."
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