Norah Jones took control of the Contemporary Jazz Albums chart last week with her latest release, Visions. The pianist-singer reinvented her musical language for 2020 by adding elements such as funk, psychedelic garage soul and country to her piano-forward jazz sound.
She has formed roots-leaning side projects such as The Little Willies and Puss n Boots, collaborated with modern rockers Foo Fighters and Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day; as well as reconnecting with her Beatles-influenced sitar virtuoso father Ravi Shankar.
Her Story
Norah Jones has seen her career flourish ever since her breakthrough 2002 album Come Away With Me won five Grammy Awards; since then she has collaborated with everyone from Willie Nelson and Foo Fighters to El Madmo garage punk band.
Yet despite her widespread appeal, she remains true to her jazz roots. When recording Feels Like Home at her home studio, she managed to achieve an ideal blend of intimate jazz-influenced acoustic performances.
The Fall (2009) explored her broken relationship and expanded her musical palette with moody electric instrumentation that hinted at rock and soul. For her fifth album Little Broken Hearts she explored darker depths with producer Brian Burton (also known by his stage name Danger Mouse).
Come Away With Me
Jones’ 2002 debut album title track invites listeners to escape the everyday, painting a romantic picture of two people living a peaceful existence together. Its soothing melody, soothing vocals, and poetic lyrics evoke images of sunset strolls along a beach or awakening to raindrops falling softly overhead.
Norah Jones introduced listeners to her unique sound by combining jazz, pop, and country influences in this soul-and-country-tinged classic, which quickly rose to number-one worldwide and won eight Grammy awards at that year’s ceremony, including Album, Record and Song of the Year awards.
Nate Chinen of All Songs Considered talks to Norah and her musicians about creating this inimitable jazz classic.
Feels Like Home
Norah Jones made her global debut with her 2002 album Come Away With Me. Ravi Shankar’s daughter sang contemporary jazz, folk, and country songs on this record that garnered five GRAMMY Awards and was then followed up with Feels Like Home (2004) and Not Too Late (2007) albums.
Norah has kept herself busy over the years by releasing multiple albums and providing musical features for other artists such as Foo Fighters, Ryan Adams, and The Cardinals.
Norah’s latest album Visions features songs she wrote or co-wrote herself and is an album which celebrates life’s small joys – particularly “Virginia Moon”, written by fellow musician Jesse Harris and featured on Visions.
Not Too Late
Most 20-somethings dream of success and fulfillment as they approach adulthood; Norah Jones had already accomplished those ambitions prior to entering her stride as an artist. Her debut album Come Away With Me (2002) became an instant classic with its eclectic blend of jazz, folk, pop and country influences.
Jones went on to release Feel Like Home (2004), The Fall (2009) and Little Broken Hearts (2011) which all garnered her Grammy wins. Most recently in 2019, she released Begin Again, featuring collaborations with artists like Jeff Tweedy, Rodrigo Amarante Thomas Bartlett and Tarriona Tank Ball.
Norah Jones made her film acting debut in Wong Kar Wai’s My Blueberry Nights (2007) and homeschools her children while leading an intimate lifestyle.
Visions
Visions stands out as an unconventional album; with its rhythm-heavy production and beat-heavy drumming, Visions defies convention. Instead, it offers an innovative journey across new-twang country multiverses, retro soul laneways and R&B boulevards while staying true to Jones’ jazz roots.
After becoming sentient, Vision joined the Avengers and fell into romantic relations with Wanda Maximoff. His ability to absorb and regulate solar energy through his solar gem on his forehead allows him to create holographic illusions as well as communicate remotely.
Norah Jones remains an essential artist two decades after her breakthrough debut, Visions is proof. Produced with multi-instrumentalist Leon Michels (El Michels Affair), Visions takes off at breakneck speed while traversing all areas of pop.