Confession: I only like Norah Jones because so many others told me to

She and Him = M. Ward again :)

I’m sure that some day I’ll come around to Norah Jones. She’s not bad just meh. Saying that one of my favorites is her duet with Ray Charles.

I have come to adore Linda Ronstadt so I’m sure there’s hope.

Check out Rhiannon Giddens With Francesco Turrisi – There Is No Other

And

Lady Blackbird – Black Acid Soul

Nora Jones.... To quote douglas adams.....mostly harmless.

As to Diana Krall, I enjoyed her live concert videos and albums and once I saw her in concert for real (not carefully edited), I stopped listening to her.   I'd call her an "entertainer" more than anything else.

Like learning how to appreciate scotch, malbec wines or cilantro.

@tony1954 

Mostly right, but from what I understand, to some cilantro tastes like soap and will always taste like soap. 🤣

I find the tone of her voice to be very soothing. There’s a softness that I find just right. I can recline my chair after a rough day and her voice will take me away from things for a while. It’s like a mental massage

I have to admit to an inherent bias to hyped artists, far too often I find mass selling artists less than compelling. Having said that I've been surprised by the quality of some of these artists when I did give them a chance.

Light jazz not my thing, but I've heard some nice things from her, may have to explore more of her less popular output.

@erik_squires 

Once I started cooking Thai recipes, a love  like of cilantro soon followed.

@tony1954  Glad to hear it! :)

I love cilantro as well.  Just a shame that there are some who really have the soap cilantro gene.  I pray for them regularly.

yup. cilantro definitely tastes like soap to me...

There’s a softness that I find just right. I can recline my chair after a rough day and her voice will take me away from things for a while. It’s like a mental massage

Nothing wrong with that, @som  !!

I don't get it either, bought her come away with me album because of the hoopla. Never play it, not my cup of tea.

I would imagine her dad being Ravi Shankar has a lot to do with the overblown view of her.

Norah Jones.  Jazz singer?!  “Darling of the Jazz press”?!  Huh?  I don’t think so.
 

Don’t get me wrong I kind of like Norah Jones and some of her material may be a little “jazzy” at times, but a Jazz singer she is not.  Perhaps that is part of the problem for some listeners.  Unrealistic expectations?  

OP

why the angst?  There is so much music that we can choose from.  If a given Artist doesn’t appeal to your sensibilities, why force it?

  I listen primarily to Classical.  For years friends, many of them accomplished Musicians, would hector me that I “must” learn to appreciate Serialism.  After years of trying, I finally said “enough”.  My life is to short to listen to music that I don’t like because of peer pressure.

Nice post.

I like Cold Cold Heart, and the the high note she hits on the second chorus of Don't Know Why.

My top two favorite female vocal artist is Julienne Taylor and  Chantel Chamberland 

why the angst? There is so much music that we can choose from. If a given Artist doesn’t appeal to your sensibilities, why force it?

Answered above, and I’m not forcing anything, I’m trying to learn. There’s also the purely intellectual pursuit here of understanding the narrative around her albums and their awards. Knowledge is worth pursing even if of a type of art you may not buy for your own home.

Music is rarely a pure pursuit.  For instance, it is worth learning about the social, economic and industrial forces that led to the development of hip-hop music as an industry even when you personally may not like listening to it. 

@baylinor - I could be mistaken, but I'd guess that Norah Jones is so popular that many, if not most of her fans, don't know or care who her father was and many likely have never heard of him. 

@larsman not true Ravi Shankar was a great sitar player and worked with the Beatles and George Harrison. Many credit him with bringing East Indian music to the mainstream well of sorts.

Ravi and Nora did have a relationship even though Ravis’s relations with her mother were brief at best.

@jerryg123 - what did I say that's not true? I didn't say that I never heard of Ravi Shankar, I said that most of Norah Jones fans likely have not and wouldn't care if they did. 

@larsman sorry did not intend to get your colon twisted.

Happy New Year. 

I will leave you be, but as a Fan I know, and I will bet more do know than you think.

Wow!

Have a drink dude. 

For those who may not know Ravi Shankar, I strongly recommend you watch his performance on the 1968 Monterey pop festival DVD and you will never forget it. 

I could be mistaken, but I'd guess that Norah Jones is so popular that many, if not most of her fans, don't know or care who her father was and many likely have never heard of him. 

@larsman  The question isn't in my mind if her fans know who her father was but rather, would they know of Norah if he wasn't her father?

Silly two complete different genre’s and she never rode his coat tails. Nora has more musical ability also. Multi instrumentalist.

Both are talented for sure. 

Larsmans comment would be more relevant if we were speaking of Taylor Swift. More sophisticated audience for Nora.  

@erik_squires - again, I can't know for sure, but my guess would be that yes, of those many millions of Norah Jones fans, a large number, if not most, would be fans without having any idea of Ravi. They don't like Norah because of her ragas, after all, and I'd also guess that most of them do not have records by Ravi or other classical Indian music at their homes, though many probably do have Diana Krall records. 

@larsman

I think the point I was trying to make was she would not have gotten the press attention if not for her dad, therefore many fewer would know of her.  You dont' have to know who her father was to be influenced by the press which did.

For myself, I didn't know who Norah's father was for years, and after I found out, I could not have cared less. Had I known, it wouldn't have been a plus.

Erik, I tend to disagree. And whether or not the press was on her side is moot. You don't sell 27 million copies of an album because of the press.

@erik_squires - I'd agree with that for when she first appeared on the scene, for sure.

I'm a Norah fan. Come Away With Me is (was) an audiophile staple. My girlfriend bought it first but then I heard it everywhere I went to listen to high end systems for a while. Last time was at a presentation of the Magnepan 30.7. Funny thing is that album is hard to make sound bad, in my opinion. It's easy on systems. You'd think audiophile albums would be ones that low end systems just can't handle at all but it seems the opposite is mostly the case.  Try Reference Recordings Arnold: Overtures. That is not easy on most systems. 

Nope none of that overrated Diana Krall crap in my collection. 

Ravi or other classical Indian music at their homes, though many probably do have Diana Krall records. 

Rather listen to the Dead Kennedys than DK. 

If she's good enough for Ray Charles and Willie Nelson, then she's real good.  Just listen, or not listen and judge her by her music.  Trying to label her a nepo baby is misleading.

Fun little story: I once made Norah Jones cry when she was, like, four or five years old. My great aunt was a music producer and founder of Angel records and was having a get together at her apartment in New York city. My mom and I were there and I was maybe 10 years old or so. I have no idea who she or her family was. I don't know if Ravi Shankar was there, but her mom had to have been. Anyhow, dessert had been served and she had eaten her small bowl of ice cream and she wanted some of mine and I teaser with a spoon and then ate all of it in front of her and she burst into tears I imagine it totally haunted her entire musical career.

Seems like the OP, despite the title of this thread, cannot actually like Norah Jones. They can profess to like her, but no one can actually like someone because they are coerced to by the audiophile press, or other audiophiles.

To me, while I admit she is talented, she is way to ’safe’, mainstream, and traditional. While so many more talented jazz musicians, who are adding something new to the jazz art form, live in obscurity.

Seems like the OP, despite the title of this thread, cannot actually like Norah Jones. They can profess to like her, but no one can actually like someone because they are coerced to by the audiophile press, or other audiophiles.

You caught me on account of that's exactly what I stated in the OP.

@noromance great call on that Rhiannon Giddens album  

@simao 

I hope it didn't haunt her. Some remorse would have been nice, 

After all, you met her and she became World famous

Like Erik, I have to confess that there are (without getting specific) certain artists/genres that don’t check enough boxes to trip my (musical) trigger. I rate these according to the number of plays I am willing to endure. ’

A rating of "2.7" would work something like this: the first cut introduces you to artist/genre. You listen intently to capture the uniqueness, personality, cadence, subtleties or just plain brilliance of the performance. When the second cut begins, you anxiously anticipate a variation, hoping to capture more of the depth and scope of the artist/genre. The third cut morphs cuts one and two into something resembling both one and two with a "hint" that their could be something redeeming if you just stay at it a while longer. By the cut 3 halfway mark, your swaying side by side from one cheek bone to the other hoping someone else will request another artist/genre. At the ".7" mark you’re looking for an object (like a throw pillow) to toss at the turntable to forcefully eject the stylus from the groove. Or, in the case of streaming, you find yourself positioned with your feet propped up against the rear of the cabinet using both hands to yank out the ethernet cable.

Then, each year, you play a single cut from the artist/genre to remind yourself that you do, in fact, have a wide range of musical interests, and something in common with others.

Norah has her moments; but, I get why many don't feel inclined to jump on that bandwagon.

I was given a ticket to see Norah on her 2022 tour and I was excited when I learned that Brian Blade was the drummer in her touring band. I've seen Brian numerous times backing up folks like Emmylou Harris and Daniel Lanois and I was always very impressed with his playing. But, that was not the case with the Norah Jones show, as her music did not challenge him in any way. 

I actually do like Norah Jones.... I mean I don’t mind if she comes on, but finding out she got 5 grammys for an album is also kind of shocking and makes me wonder what is wrong with my hearing.

And trying to keep things civil, I'm glad she's successful.  I just am also quite surprised.

I think she is played to make stereos sound their best, same as Diana Krall. Although Diana is a looker - Elvis got a winner.

For women singers, Linda Ronstadt, Stevie Nicks, Bonnie Raitt, Sade are tops in my book. If you want a Nora Jones type sound, check out Linda Ronstadt's What's New. A little mellow for my tastes, but what a voice. A regret I have is I never got to see her live. It's a shame she's been too sick to perform for quite a while.

Norah says 'like me'.

She has always left me cold.
To me, she lacks passion.
She feels like a product more than an artist. 

+1 for sparksgja

Perfect & succinct

To me, she lacks passion.

@unreceivedogma I think you are onto something. For those of us from classical music based musical cultures, her songs are verbal narratives without a corresponding musical conflict, or resolution. The music is more mood than drama.

I think that's what's missing for me. Entire mood albums, and, rightly or wrongly, I keep expecting a musical piece with a point, counterpoint, and resolution, much along the lines of a classical piece and nowhere on the album does one appear.

@erik_squires "I actually do like Norah Jones"

So do I.  She rates a solid "8.0" on my "# of plays" scale. Just above Diana Krall, and few ticks away from Linda Ronstat.

I woke up yesterday with an impulse to inject some light humor into the conversatioin.  At least that was my intention.  Probably should have taken the dog for a walk instead.

Thanks for the post.  Always a pleaure reading your contributions.  

John

I love her lyrics on Come Away With Me , her voice is soft and sultry and the music is just perfect for late night listening . 

I use this album as one of my listen to to evaluate any change I make in my system. 

With that being said I've listened to her follow up albums and found them a bit repetitive and monotonous until much later when I picked up Begin Again , so I wouldn't say that I am crazy over her compared to Julie London who I have every one of her albums .  

But those 2 albums do make for some very good in the dark listening .

Every time I have listened to her I usually turn to something else. I don’t hate her, I just dislike that lilting voice. It all sounds the same to me. I think of artists like Andrea Bocelli, for people who don’t know or don’t really listen to opera. It’s accessible music. If you can, try to find an audio dealer that plays music that you may not be familiar with that pushes your musical reach or a music shop (yes, still better than the internet) that can steer you to what you like. If the dealer only plays audiophile approved music, maybe try elsewhere. And don’t be afraid to try something different and if you like Norah or Andrea, well then enjoy it. The last thing I want to do is tell you what to like. My tastes are all over the place; British rock, art rock, grew up with punk jazz, Chicago Blues, Lyric Opera, CSO back to Solti conducting, eastern, and music from most cultures (I’ll at least give them a try), etc., etc.