|
 Perhaps
piano-playing prodigy Norah Jones was always destined for greatness:
From an early age, it was clear that she had inherited the musical
talent of her famous father, Indian sitar legend and esteemed Beatles
associate Ravi Shankar. But no one, especially Jones herself, could have
predicted that her destiny would arrive so quickly, or spectacularly.
Within the course of one short year, the exotic jazz chanteuse with the
smoky voice and eyes skyrocketed from complete unknown to critics'
darling to unlikely mainstream megastar--with this upward trajectory
culminating in an astounding eight-trophy sweep at the 45th annual
Grammy Awards. Winning every category in which she was
nominated--including Best New Artist and Album, Record, and Song Of The
Year--this gifted, torch-singing newcomer even trounced odds-on favorite
Bruce Springsteen, in the process doing for jazz in 2003 what the O
Brother, Where Are Thou? soundtrack's Grammy win did for bluegrass and
country in 2002.
Norah Jones Links
Born, May 30, 1979 in New York City, Jones was raised in Texas by her
single mother, and never knew her father as child; to this day, she is
reluctant to discuss him in interviews, although she does concede that
they now have a close relationship. However, while Shankar wasn't around
to influence her musically during her formative years, Jones drifted
toward music on her own, and discovered jazz while attending the Booker
T. Washington High School For The Performing And Visual Arts in Dallas,
where she won two Down Beat Student Music Awards in 1996 (for Best Jazz
Vocalist and Best Original Composition) and one in '97 (for Best Jazz
Vocalist). She then attended the University Of North Texas for two
years, where she worked on a degree in jazz piano, before deciding to
take a break from her education to move back to New York. There, she
formed her own band with guitarist Jesse Harris, bassist Lee Alexander,
and drummer Dan Rieser, and began gigging around the Greenwich Village
jazz/folk club scene.
In 2001, Jones signed to EMI jazz imprint Blue Note Records, and began
recording her debut jazz-pop album, Come Away With Me, with legendary
producer Arif Mardin (whose numerous impressive credits include the Bee
Gees, George Benson, Ray Charles, Judy Collins, Roberta Flack, Aretha
Franklin, Donny Hathaway, Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, Bette Midler,
Willie Nelson, Laura Nyro, John Prine, Diana Ross, Carly Simon, Dusty
Springfield, Barbra Streisand, Dionne Warwick, and even '80s groups
Culture Club and Scritti Politti). Along with her steady band members,
the album also featured the musical talents of jazz greats like Bill
Frisell and Brian Blade, and showcased the songwriting of Harris (who
penned her Grammy-winning breakthrough single, "Don't Know Why") and
Alexander. The album also included choice covers like Hank Williams's
"Cold Cold Heart," J.D. Loudermilk's "Turn Me On," and Hoagy
Carmichael's "The Nearness of You," as well as two songs composed by
Jones herself: "Nightingale" and the title track.
Come Away With Me was not an overnight sensation, but it garnered
immense critical acclaim when it was released in February 2002, and many
months later, "Don't Know Why" began receiving radio and VH1 airplay,
which increased Jones's buzz. This buzz then grew into a deafening roar
when it was announced in January 2003 that Jones had been nominated for
an astonishing eight Grammys; a week later, almost a full year after
Come Away With Me's initial street date, the album hit number one on the
Billboard Top 200.
Although Jones's landslide victory at the 2003 Grammys has established
her as both a bona fide superstar and respected artist, it remains to be
seen if this is already the peak of her career--which was the case for
past Best New Artist winners/young Grammy favorites like Paula Cole and
Christopher Cross--or if this is just the beginning. However, with her
timeless, far-from-trendy style, it seems likely that Norah Jones will
be making beautiful music for a good long time. |
