Jazz Vocalist Norah Jones
Norah Jones first burst onto the music scene with her debut album Come Away With Me, boasting a soothing jazz-pop sound which quickly gained her widespread acclaim.
After that, she released several albums that showcased her experimentation of different genres and sounds; these albums included Feels Like Home and The Fall which received much positive attention.
Her bio
Norah Jones is a nine-time Grammy award winner and has sold 53 million albums worldwide. Born and raised in Grapevine, Texas she took piano and voice lessons before attending Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas where she graduated with distinction – receiving Down Beat magazine’s Student Music Awards twice over for jazz vocalist performance.
Her debut album Come Away with Me was an unexpected sleeper hit that combined soothing, acoustic pop with soul and jazz influences. Her second effort Feels Like Home followed in 2004 and also proved immensely popular, topping charts across Europe and North America.
Jones collaborated with her half-sister Anoushka Shankar on the album Traces of You and contributed to Raise Hope for Congo compilation released by 2020. She currently resides in Brooklyn with two children and recently released Begin Again which draws its inspiration from Dr Seuss books she read to them; featuring original tracks as well as cover tunes.
Her music
Norah Jones rose to stardom with her 2002 release Come Away With Me. Her distinctive vocals and style drew listeners in with elements from jazz and ’70s singer/songwriters; providing listeners with an alternative to flashy female pop stars.
Her voice, rich with smoke and yearning, brought together country, folk rock, and Great American Songbook styles in an approachable and familiar fashion. She quickly established a following for intimate live performances worldwide – selling out 3,000-seat theaters. Since her debut, she has recorded various projects alongside collaborations with other artists; rapper Logic featured her on Paradise II album as well. Visions is her latest release which showcases original songs reflecting an enlightened perspective of life; its counterpart was Pick Me Up Off the Floor released during pandemic lockdown in 2020.
Her awards
Norah Jones made history at this year’s Grammy Awards by taking home every category available – record of the year (studio creators) and song of the year (composers). Arif Mardin won producer of the year nonclassical for this album; Jones contributed her vocal talents on other recordings as well.
She went on tour with artists like Dave Matthews and Cyndi Lauper and appeared on shows such as Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show, and Good Morning America. Additionally, her music career flourished with releases like The Fall (2009 g.) and Little Broken Hearts (2012), plus contributing to album…Featuring Norah Jones (2010).
Norah Jones has always taken pride in maintaining an approach that puts art over commerce, creativity over celebrity. She makes walking this delicate line appear effortless. Additionally, Norah Jones has two young children whom she keeps private as much as possible.
Her appearances
Jones has made numerous television appearances, including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on NBC and CBS Saturday Morning on CBS. Furthermore, she has performed with her band at various jazz festivals and venues around the globe.
In 2007, she made her acting debut in Wong Kar-Wai’s My Blueberry Nights and since has collaborated with numerous musicians such as Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest on his album Renaissance and Herbie Hancock for River: The Joni Letters.
Not Too Late was released in 2007 as her debut effort with every song being co-written or written solely by herself or co-writers, recorded at her home studio and featuring a darker sound than its predecessors. Additionally, she has contributed piano and vocals for albums by Ryan Adams & the Cardinals including 2005’s Virginia Moon.