Pianos and Pirates: Norah Jones at 45
10 great songs from her catalog
It may be hard to believe, but Norah Jones turned 45 on Saturday.
Jones first appeared on the scene more than two decades ago now. Come Away With Me, her 2002 Blue Note Records debut, was a smash pretty much right out of the box. The album’s mix of pop, jazz and even a little country — coupled with Jones’ warm, distinct voice and piano chops — struck a chord with listeners around the world. It produced the hit “Don’t Know Why” (plus several other favorites) and swept the following year’s GRAMMY awards. Among the trophies that Jones took home that year were Best New Artist and Album of the Year. She was suddenly a star at the age of 23.
The thing is, Jones was never really comfortable with stardom. She’s not a narcissist pop star like Madonna, not a rock goddess like Chrissie Hynde or Stevie Nicks — not even a well-adjusted but spotlight-loving singer-songwriter like Taylor Swift. Having interviewed her several times, I can tell you that Jones is unpretentious and low-key. She’s a lovely but private person who is normal in the best sense of the word and who probably doesn’t see herself the way much of the world sees her. The first time I interviewed her, when I asked her about playing guitar playing on The Fall, she said, “It [was] fun, once I got over my self-consciousness of playing guitar in front of Marc Ribot or Smokey Hormel. But they were both really cool. They were like, ‘Wow! I really like your guitar playing.’ Whether they were just saying that or not, it made me feel comfortable’.” It must have been hard for Jones to be thrust into the spotlight so quickly and unexpectedly.
Similarly, Jones has never used the fact that her father was the late Sitar master Ravi Shankar to further her music career. In fact, it’s not a subject she’s particularly keen on discussing. Born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar, she was in fact raised by her mother — American concert producer Sue Jones — primarily in Texas. Jones moved to New York City in 1999 and became part of the town’s thriving underground music scene, playing intimate clubs like The Living Room, meeting like-minded musicians and straddling the worlds of pop music and jazz. Even when she signed to Blue Note in 2001, there was little to indicate that her success would be as meteoric as it was.
Over the last 20 years, Jones has released eight more studio albums. Her sophomore set, Feels Like Home, appeared in 2004 and more or less followed the same blueprint as her debut. With the next few albums, however, Jones began tinkering with her sound while keeping her roots in jazz and pop intact. Not Too Late, which came out in 2007, was somewhat more minimal: rather than work with legendary producer Arif Mardin again, she and bassist Lee Alexander (her partner at the time) put the album together in their home studio with little accompaniment. The Fall, which arrived in late 2009, was a tremendous effort that found Jones working with producer Jacquire King. It was much more collaborative than Not Too Late and its songs ranged all over the map. From the catchy hit single “Chasing Pirates” to the country-tinged lament “You’ve Ruined Me” to the lovely breakup ballad “Back to Manhattan” to the witty album closer “Man of the Hour,” Jones tried a little of everything. She returned three years later with yet another new sound. Little Broken Hearts, inspired by a breakup, found her working with producer Brian Burton (AKA Danger Mouse) and embracing alternative pop. Jones’ sixth album, Day Breaks, from 2016, was billed as a return to her jazz-pop roots. And for the most part it was, containing both originals and covers of songs by Duke Ellington and Horace Silver (and featuring the late, great Wayne Shorter on several tracks).
Since the pandemic hit, Jones has been on a roll. Late 2020 saw the release of Pick Me Up off the Floor, a moody outing that did not get the attention it deserved. Not long before that, her side band Puss N’ Boots released their excellent sophomore disc, Sister. Jones also released both a live album and her first holiday collection, I Dream of Christmas, during the first two years of the pandemic. And on top of all that, she launched a podcast called Playing Along in 2022. Jones’ ninth studio offering, Visions, arrived on March 8th and found her working with producer Leon Michels (who had also helmed the Christmas album).
One thing this writer feels that Jones doesn’t get credit for is her collaborations. Beyond her two side groups — The Little Willies and the aforementioned Puss N’ Boots — she has worked with a remarkably diverse group of artists. These include everyone from Herbie Hancock to Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong and from Dolly Parton to Outkast!
At the end of the day, though, Jones will be remembered for her own music. So as she turns 45, let’s take a look at 10 of her essential songs. These are arranged chronologically, from the most recent to the earliest.
10. Staring at the Wall — 2024
“Staring At the Wall” is taken from Jones’ brand new album Visions. A moody, midtempo song, it’s one of the disc’s catchier tunes. But catchy doesn’t always mean happy. “Devil watches every step I take,” sings Jones. “Messin’ with the moves I’m tryin’ to shake.”
VIDEO: Norah Jones “Staring at the Wall”
9. I’m Alive — 2020
From her underrated album Pick Me Up off the Floor comes “I’m Alive,” which Jones co-wrote with Jeff Tweedy. While it’s not necessarily clear whether the challenges she faces here are personal or political (or both), this is a song about resilience.
VIDEO: Norah Jones “I’m Alive”
8. Angel Dream — 2020
Sister — the sophomore set from Puss N’ Boots (which includes Jones, Sasha Dobson and Catherine Popper) — was released in early 2020. I had the pleasure of interviewing the band in Brooklyn a mere month before the COVID-19 pandemic hit; it was the last in person interview I would do for three years.
A winning mix of originals and covers, Sister includes a gorgeous version of Tom Petty’s “Angel Dream” on which Jones sings lead.
AUDIO: Puss N Boots “Angel Dream”
7. Burn — 2016
The opening track from Jones’ Day Breaks disc, “Burn” is a sultry song co-written with Sarah Oda.
AUDIO: Norah Jones “Burn”
6. Miriam — 2012
The eerie “Miriam” is from Little Broken Hearts, Jones’ 2012 collaboration with Danger Mouse. It’s a bit of an anomaly in her catalog. The song finds her singing lines like this:
“I know he said it’s not your fault but I don’t believe that’s true/I’ve punished him for being too weak, now I’ve saved the best for you…
Miriam
That’s such a pretty name
And I’ll keep saying it
Until you die.”
One doesn’t normally think of Norah Jones going postal on a woman but, hey: we’re all complex and we all have our threshold. You’ve been warned…;)
VIDEO: Norah Jones “Miriam”
5. Chasing Pirates — 2009
The lead track and first single from Jones’ album The Fall, “Chasing Pirates” is a catchy, Wurlitzer-driven song about being too wound up to sleep.
VIDEO: Norah Jones “Chasing Pirates”
4. December — 2009
Another one from The Fall. It’s no secret that Jones is a fan of the holiday season. “My Christmas spirit has definitely gone up in the last 20 years,” she told me in 2021. “[When] the pandemic happened, I started listening to Christmas music on Sundays to just sort of lift my spirits [and] everyone else in the house’s spirits.”
With the lovely “December,” she penned a holiday standard of her own.
AUDIO: Norah Jones “December”
3. Sinkin’ Soon — 2007
“Sinkin’ Soon” was a popular track from Jones’ third studio album, Not Too Late. It’s a midtempo song that uses a nautical journey as a metaphor for a doomed relationship.
VIDEO: Norah Jones “Sinkin’ Soon”
2. Come Away with Me — 2002
The title track from her debut is one that Jones wrote on her own. A beautiful song about love and escape.
VIDEO: Norah Jones “Come Away With Me”
1. Don’t Know Why — 2002
The song that started it all. “Don’t Know Why” was deservedly a big hit — understated but infectious, notable for what was left out as much for what was left in. It was written by New York-based singer-songwriter Jesse Harris, but it’s hard to imagine anyone singing it but Jones.
VIDEO: Norah Jones “Don’t Know Why”
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