Norah Jones has come a long way since she released her breakthrough debut album Come Away With Me in 2002. Since then, she has released six additional albums and worked with artists ranging from Foo Fighters to Willie Nelson – each making an immeasurable mark on the industry.
Norah Jones is living their dreams. At only 20, she has reached the pinnacle of her field – PEOPLE recently interviewed her to talk about her success so far.
Her Early Years
Norah Jones, daughter of Ravi Shankar, embarked on her own musical path at Booker T Washington High School for Performing and Visual Arts before enrolling at University of North Texas to study jazz piano.
After earning her degree, she moved to New York City, where she made a living by singing and playing piano for Wax Poetic band.
Jones first rose to international stardom with her 2002 debut Come Away With Me, an unexpected sleeper hit that propelled her onto the Blue Note label. Subsequent releases – Foreverly (2009) and Day Breaks (2016) – explored themes of love, loss and heartache; while Visions (2022), her latest release with Blue Note Records, marked a return to jazz-inflected stylings seen on earlier releases like Come Away With Me; it also marks her collaboration with producer Leon Michels who has worked with Dan Auerbach and Erykah Badu on previous Blue Note releases such as Come Away With Me.
Come Away With Me
“Come Away With Me” is an emotive love song that suggests an escape from everyday life to form deeper connections between lovers. It evokes images of private utopias that only two individuals in love can create together.
Norah Jones moved from Texas to New York as a 20-year-old, carrying with her homemade demo recordings that caught the attention of Blue Note Records’ Bruce Lundvall, who offered her a record deal.
Norah initially recorded at Sorcerer Sound Studios with guitarist Jesse Harris and bass player Lee Alexander; later Norah and producer Craig Street returned to Allaire Studios in upstate NY to record nine additional original and cover songs at once.
Feels Like Home
Norah Jones stands head and shoulders above other torch singers when it comes to country, folk rock and Great American Songbook music. When competing against Xtina, Britney or Mariah she stands tall among them all.
Home is Norah’s follow up to her breakthrough debut Come Away With Me and showcases a diverse range of sounds while refining its sound template. “Sunrise,” an album highlight and its lead-off track, features her sultry vocal atop pizzicato strings and lively bass guitar for an upbeat shuffle feel.
Jones draws upon her core group, comprised of guitarists Adam Levy and Kevin Breit, bassist Lee Alexander, background singer Daru Oda and background singer Daru Oda; alongside The Band members Garth Hudson and Levon Helm, as well as Lucinda Williams from her vocal group Lucinda Williams for special appearances.
Not Too Late
Jones and Alexander’s third album marks a slight departure from their formula. Though still mostly soothing, some songs take risks – for instance “Sinkin’ Soon” features an agitated piano line mixed with bursts of muted trombone that make an explosive counterpoint to Jones’ vocals.
Jones may be beloved to millions who purchased her two albums, yet for many in the poperati her name conjured up feelings of dismissiveness, as one could associate her with someone making MOR, dinner jazz and covers music but benefiting from having Arif Mardin as producer. Not Too Late shows she may finally be ready to explore new directions without relying on the same formula alone.
Pick Me Up Off the Floor
Jones stands out against Trump with her clear and powerful voice, sings lyrics such as, “She is crushed by thoughts at night of men who wish for her rights but usually win – yet she remains alive” on her album‘s opening track co-written with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy.
After 2016’s Day Breaks, she hadn’t intended to release another album so quickly; however, due to homeschooling her kids during a coronavirus lockdown and working on short sessions with collaborators such as Brian Blade and Danger Mouse during short breaks between classes, this collection came about.
This resulted in a set that explored darkness while always finding hope in the light. Songs like “How I Weep” and “Flame Twin” employed jazz harmonies and rhythm to address loss, deception, indecision and depression through lyrics that highlighted protest as an alternative form of resistance.