MORE THAN JAZZ

‘The Fall’, the latest album by Norah Jones is a delightful autumn sonic feast. Her autumn is breezy, filled with sunshine nonetheless. The absence of Jazz makes a surprise.

Nine Grammys, starring in Wong Kar-Wai’s ‘My Blueberry Nights’ with Jude Law, Norah Jones has been sailing through her career all along. Sold over 36,000,000 records worldwide, Jones also stepped outside her comfort zone to perform with The Little Willies. Her last album ‘Not Too Late’ was released early 2007, and with that Norah Jones is blossoming into her big 30 this year. Would that be a motivation for making some creative changes? Jones replaces the piano with guitar in ‘The Fall’, yes, but her core music style remains.

Such demand for changes is laid on the table. ‘I want the music to be more modern and heavy. I’ve been working with the same group of musicians and I think it is time for some little experiments.’ With Jacquire King (producer of Kings of Leon, Modest Mouse and Tom waits) on board, her choice spells conviction. It seems to make perfect sense, if you were to know that ‘Mule Variations’ (by Tom Waits) is one of Jones’s beloved albums. ‘Of course I can’t compare this to Tom Waits, but this album contains all the elements I ever dream of, a balance of pretty and raw.’ Other names are also called upon — musicians such as Joey Waronker, James Gadson (drummer for Beck and R.E.M); James Poyser (keyboard player of Al Green), Marc Ribot (guitarist for Elvis Costello and Tom Waits); Smokey Hormel (guitarist who once shared stage with Johnny Cash and Joe Strummer). A list of new names, with the exception of regular collaborator Jesse Harris.

With the change of crew comes change of music style. One of the most noticeable elements is the absence of piano, for Jones wrote most of the songs with the guitar this time. ‘Rhythm is a leading force of the new album, therefore the piano takes a step back.’ It is the first time we hear rock ‘n’ roll from Norah Jones. Moved from Texas to New York at the age of twenty, Jones released her debut album ‘Come Away with Me’ almost eight years ago. Eight years in earth time, but it feels like a life time to Jones. ‘I feel like a completely different person now. Life was really crazy back then, like a constant roller-coaster, and it gets worse every time. I wish I enjoyed life more, but I just worked all the time.’ About a year ago Jones recorded the demo for first single ‘Chasing Pirates’ at home, when a friend paid a visit and ended up writing the drum parts. ‘That was unexpected, but somehow it set the tone for the new album’.

With organ as the core instrument in ‘Light as A Feather’(a collaboration with Ryan Adams) , the track is a twist on country music; ‘It’s Gonna Be’ is a jazzy number with a touch of punk percussion; ‘Back to Manhattan’ is a ‘classic Norah Jones’ track; ‘Stuck’ is a pop melody written on top of blues guitar. It is obvious that Norah Jones has grown confidence in her song writing. ‘I used to worry about writing a good song, and that probably was down to age and experience. Now I am definitely more confident to present my creations’.

NORAH JONES
norahjones.com