Norah Jones : Releases >>
Information provided by Amazon.co.uk
Come Away with Me >>
In Come Away with Me, it is not just the timbre of Norah Jones's voice that is mature beyond her years. Her assured phrasing and precise time are more often found in older singers as well. She is instantly recognisable, blending intimations of Billie Holiday and Nina Simone without sounding like anyone but herself. Any way you slice it, she is a singer to be reckoned with. Her readings of the Hank Williams classic, "Cold Cold Heart" and Hoagy Carmichael's "The Nearness of You" are worth the price of the CD. Jones's own material, while not bad, pales a bit next to masterpieces such as these. They might have fared better had she and producer Arif Mardin opted for some livelier arrangements, taking better advantage of brilliant sidemen such as Bill Frisell, Kevin Breit and Brian Blade; or if the tunes had simply been given less laconic performances. Jones has all the tools; what will come with experience, and some careful listening to artists like JJ Cale and Shirley Horn, is the knack of remaining low-key without being sleepy--sometimes less is not, in fact, more. --Michael Ross
Not Too Late >>
Though pundits predicted a change of direction for the third Norah Jones album, fans of earlier works will be pleased to learn that Not Too Late maintains the chanteuse's subtle mantra of tasteful, insouciant songs tinged with jazz, folk, country and blues. The album differs in that the majority of tracks this time around were written by Norah herself (and long-term collaborator Lee Alexander); that said, musical support comes from her regular coterie (guitarist Jesse Harris, drummer Andy Borger and singer Daru Oda amongst others), as well as esteemed guests such as Kronos Quartet cellist Jeff Ziegler, Larry Goldings and singer-songwriter M Ward. Patient, simple ballads, calm jazz/folk chords and quiet instrumental embellishments are still what Norah does best and there are plenty here, enhanced of course by her timeless, honeyed vocals. With the notable exception of the idiosyncratic, politically-charged waltz "Sinkin' Soon" (featuring vocals from M. Ward), Not Too Late lopes along with typical restraint and candour, making for another collection of soothing, weightless tunes. --Paul Sullivan
Feels Like Home >>
With Feels Like Home, the follow-up to her eight times Grammy winning debut, Come Away With Me, easy listening's 24 year-old poster girl Norah Jones has a staggering weight of expectation to live up to.
However, anyone expecting to be wowed from the start stands to be disappointed. At face value it's Come Away with Me MkII, albeit a more countrified version without the instantly dreamy and delightful melodies of "Don't Know Why" and "Come Away with Me". Over the long haul though, it's a quietly brilliant leap forward that not only lives up to expectation, but far exceeds it.
With "Sunrise", "Those Sweet Words" and "Carnival Town" Jones ushers in more gentle sauntering and jazz-sweet reflection, but this time the understated dirt-track atmospheres don't just conjure pretty twilight moods; they convey a beauty and a powerful emotional cache that lingers. Likewise, "The Prettiest Thing" murmurs with tender sadness while the low-slung swagger of "In the Morning" broods with so much lip-curling passion it's almost seedy. However, the proof of just how far Jones has come lies in "Don't Miss You At All". A humbling end-of-the-affair lullaby built around the two-in-the-morning piano of Duke Ellington's instrumental "Melancholia", it's as moving as it is brave. --Dan Gennoe
Live from Austin Tx [VINYL] >>
Come Away With Me >>
NEW YORK CITY >>
The talented Norah Jones came to New York and got famous in spectacular, multi-platinum fashion. So it's inevitable that recordings she made before she hit it big are starting to come to the fore--case in point, this CD by lyricist, songwriter and guitarist Peter Malick. Malick recorded these tunes with Jones in 2000 (when she was just 21), along with four other singers (Jess Klein, Kirsten Proffit, Antje Duvekot and his daughter Mercy). Stylistically, Malick's music is a radio-friendly blend of country and pop, with just a tinge of jazz, the same kind of genre that launched Jones on her Blue Note debut Come Away with Me.
The material is mostly about love, longing and big city life. While all of the singers have basically the same style, the six tracks with Jones stand out. Except for the slow blues number, "All of Your Love" and the organ-fuelled up-tempo rocker "Deceptively Yours," the rest of the guitar-centric music is mid-tempo. And, yes, Jones sounds the same on the quirky "Strange Transmissions" and the Nashville-nuanced "Heart of Mine" as she does now. Kudos to Mr Malick for being in the right place and the right studio at the right time. --Eugene Holley, Jr
Tribute To Norah Jones >>
Come Away With Me >>
Feels Like Home - Deluxe Version CD + DVD >>
Not Too Late >>
