Norah Jones “Come Away With Me” (2002) – got it
Like many people I discovered Norah via the single “Don’t Know Why”.
I feel as though I heard it through an ad for her album. Her dreamy,
breathy voice, laid-back groove and beautiful melody hooked me in.
For some people it was TOO laid-back, with Norah being unfairly dubbed
“Snorah Jones” by some detractors. While it’s true that her brand of
jazz-pop-infused-with-folk lacks the pizazz of pop, and the teeth of the
best jazz, there is some good songcraft and musicianship on display.
Definitely there are enough good jazz musicians involved (including John
Zorn collaborators: Bill Frisell, Kenny Wolleson and Jesse Harris) to
lend her some credibility amongst the genre’s purists.
It’s not as if this is a jazz aberration. Jones taps into the light
melodic jazz sounds of Bill Evans and Billie Holliday, adding in touches
of country, folk and even tango (“I’ve got to see you again”). The
Hank Williams country classic “Cold Cold Heart” is given a sultry jazz
reworking. “Shoot the Moon” has a moody descending melodic pattern.
The album is an exercise in restraint, whether it’s the smouldering but
understated sensuality of “I’ve Got To See You Again” and ”Turn Me On”
(a nice bluesy number where Norah’s voice builds above a murmur to
really get the passion across); or the sparse arrangements, which
generally just consist of minimal drums, bass, a guitar and some piano
with Norah’s breathy voice over top. Sometimes she treats herself (and
the listener) to a harmony or backing vocal.
Whether or not it’s jazz is in the ear of the beholder, but I like it,
and it helped launch Norah’s career. While she has experimented a
little with her music she has largely continued to just move back and
forth between the jazz and country idioms.
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