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

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?  

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

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.

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  !!

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

@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.

@erik_squires 

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

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.

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

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. 🤣

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.

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

And

Lady Blackbird – Black Acid Soul

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.

She and Him = M. Ward again :)

@frankmc195 That is what makes the world so colorful. We all like what we like. 

Music is the thread that brings us together. 

Glad you liked She & Him.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Cheers. 

jerryg123 you knocked one out of the park with that She and Him song for sure. There is another post about Diana Krall just above yours and he seems to agree but sadly I can not... I love her singing and her husband Elvis Costello not bad either sometimes but not in the same class as her.

@erik_squires 

I see.

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

Good luck with it and Happy Holidays.

Hey @tony1954 

I guess my question would be "Why bother?"

If she doesn't do it for you, why not just move on to someone else?

I think you misunderstand my intentions. If I only listen to things I already know I like I won't grow or connect to other music.  Educating myself on how others appreciate art is important, and sometimes I find out new ways to listen to music and to listen for in music. 

It's like looking at Picasso.  At first it was meaningless, but then I learned about the history of art during the time of his first impressionism and now it means more to me.  I may not necessarily like it all, but I'm able to appreciate it and connect to it and other artists of the period.

I guess my question would be "Why bother?"

If she doesn't do it for you, why not just move on to someone else?

Some people love rap music, but I don't lose sleep over it.

Well at @frankmc195 you do you old boy. I love Nora Jones, Nna Simone, Sarah Vaugn, Zooey Deschanel and a host of other female singers in other genera’s that you may not know,

Diann Krall is not the end all or even making the bottom cut for me. Dozens of other female vocalists that present way better.

Oh, and my system is outstanding and that still will not help Dianna in my opinion.

Merry Christmas and I am putting on some She and Him Zooey can sing!

@frankmc195 - I can't stand Norah Jones, Diana Krall, etc, either. Not saying they're bad; they are not, but for my tastes, 'vocal with accompaniment', male or female, is not what I listen to music for, and I'd sure never judge hi-fi gear on how well it reproduces this. 

I'm still stunned that Jerry can't stand Diana Krall... It totally blows my mind and makes me wonder if we audiophiles are interested in the same thing in their music...She and Norah Jones pick the right songs, pronounce the words to the song precisely, and choose very good backup musicians...Could anyone ask for more than this coming out of a good sounding system?

IMHO just a good jazz lounge singer.  Some good talent.  I don't think in the top 20 of all time female jazz singers. If one is assembling a TOP female jazz collection she's not in it.       erik_squires,  your not missing something special.  

The Salvidor Dali of jazz. 

Roberta Flack was a better version of Norah Jones before Norah Jones was born. 

+1 for the Little Willies record….if you wanna hear her tackle more of an alt country/rockabilly vibe with great back up players…

I like the Come Away With Me album, and a song here or there. 
 

don’t care for Diana Krall, outside she did one good version Sway. 
 

But, this thread makes me want to take a look at those two live albums, so thanks!

Know of her, never heard her, I can honestly say. 
 

not my cup of tea. 
I prefer Joan Jett, Lita  ford, ,Sabina Classen, Lee Aaron, but her last few , her smoky voice is quite good

If you are looking for other things Norah has done, as others have said, Puss N Boots is good as is The Little Willies.

jerryg123

I agree with you about her newer stuff.

I first heard Diana Krall many years ago, on the radio, WBGO.

Listening, all of a sudden: who's that piano player? End of program they announced names. I assumed an old veteran who had mastered the touch I was hearing.

In her early days she played piano much more. She adopted the Nat King Cole sideways position, playing while often looking sideways at the audience.

Saw/heard her in New Orleans, played a lot there.

Later, her looks became big, she sings much more than plays which is a shame.

Saw her live with Tony Bennett at Radio City, that was terrific.

Her album "New York City" with the Peter Malick group is a must have for any audiophile, one of my favorites... Also she did a track called "More than this" on the excellent Charlie Hunter album Songs from the Analog Playground which is great, get both albums they are fantastic sounding and great music

Norah Jones, I have tried to like her music but just can’t get myself to that point.  Diana Krall on the other hand makes wonderful muduc

also, anything with M. Ward! Before Zooey Deschanel discovered him, NJ already dragged him along on a 4 month concert tour and the result was delicious!
 

Her first album is, if I remember, sweetened at Sear Sound, and I think I have a Classic Records copy. It is a very good album, but also the epitome of what gets played to death. Haven’t listened to it in years.

There’s a funny thing in audiophilia, about getting the same records to compare notes. Fine. What gets me is the 8th or 10th copy of the same album, different pressing, in the hope some small incremental change in sound quality of the album is going to transform the system.
I can certainly hear differences in pressings. It just that at a certain point, popular albums get played out for me and I don’t necessarily need yet another copy with some supposedly better vinyl formulation that may have come from the same metal work as a copy I already have. I’d rather spend my money on "new to me" music, which is often old. (I’m smitten with the post-bop, spiritual/soul jazz stuff of the early ’70s. Not exactly a high point for US LP manufacture, the reissue market is somewhat spotty--some don’t fully disclose sources, but you find bargains). I’ve mentioned the Bobby Hamilton Dream Queen, an unobtainium lounge jazz album that was recently recut by Bernie allegedly from the tapes for $30 US. Stuff like that turns me on, as do original copies. I don’t get hung up on the warhorses- have more than enough of those. I do think she is talented, but hardly ever listen to her.

The phenomenon of everybody buying the same record has been true since I’ve been in this hobby, called it very early ’70s. I broke away from that a while ago. It was what I consider to be the beginning of learning about music (though I’m trained but don’t make my living playing). The rest-- the marketing, the business side-- is part of where I spent decades- more on the legal structure stuff. Fascinating, but only part of the story. The rest- the archival copies, the provenance, the identification of earlier, better sources for parts, as well as chain of title, who owns the rights, and how you organize all this information, is where I’ve been focusing since I retired as a copyright lawyer.

Listen to ‘I’ve Got To See You Again’ on her first album. It’s a slow fandango rhythm burner with superb musicianship, great sexy lyrics and perfectly poised delivery. Also demo caliber imaging and stage. If that doesn’t do it for you….I don’t know what will. 

Does nothing for me. Indifferent.

See, I like that album, but 5 Grammies?  I really missed a lot.

Sure, that's probably why Norah Jones won 5 Grammys for Come Away with Me.

The reason they always play Norah Jones, Diana Krall & similar soft sexy vocalists is because this unchallenging material transports audiophiles, i.e. prosperous middle-aged males, into the jazz club of their dreams with a realistic rendering of the palpable ambience. Sing softly to me, baby. Soft piano, soft bass, soft percussion, your beckoning voice, vague sound of ice tinkling in glasses somewhere nearby, everyone quiet and refined and everything seems to shimmer in the glow of an irresistible atmosphere. Yes I cannot live without those speakers yes forever yes.

Check out Diana Krall. Her albums are well mixed and sound great on my rig. The Girl In The Other Room and Live In Paris are both good.

rhg:

Thanks - will look into it.

DeKay

@DeKay — The Live Album I was referring to is, ‘Til We Meet Again 

Definitely worth a listen

There are two DK songs that stand out. Not much else IMO.  Haven’t listen to NJ at all. Generally prefer instrumentals. But played Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass earlier today. Forgot how good that was. In any case…
 

Temptation and Sway 

Johnto:

That's the album I have, but will look into her other workings as I have not listened to them.

DeKay

Check out Puss n Boots for Norah Jones at her best.

Come away with me is definitely a standout album vocally, musically,song wise with audiophile production and sound , I don't think any of her other albums match it.

to me Norah Jones was a fad (again and again) that can easily slip back up and make me fall in love with her voice again, but I don't listen to her more than a few hours a year. She is very talented, versatile, down to earth, and never takes herself too seriously, a lovely person with a great voice.

I tried Diana Krall a dozen times, and failed, I don't get it. Never enjoyed a moment of it.

Norah Jones is what most musicians would consider the real deal, why?

1. Excellent vocals and unique tone and timbre 
2. Excellent songwriting 
3. Excellent playing of various instruments particularly piano
4. Excellent recordings of her material and bands
5. Excellent performer live without relying on auto tune or other musical tricks

Outside jazz circles incredibly underrated in my opinion especially for her songwriting. Makes difficult music seem incredibly simple, when it’s just the opposite. Maybe a little too laid back in performance but not in the energy she puts into shows. Worth looking on YouTube at remake of first album that was shown earlier this year. 

I think Nora Jones proves that anyone with a resaonably good voice can become a start if the "machine" gets behind them.  She has a musical predigree, she's easy on the eys and a resonable singer/songwriter.  But worthy of stradom?  I've never found her that special.  For that I go to Joni Mitchell, or Phoebe Snow, or Linda Ronstadt, or KD Lang, Ella Fitzgerald, or Ruth Brown .................  there's just so many.  IMHO