Norah Jones - Feels Like Home [Jazz][mp3 320][h33t][schon55]

Norah Jones - Feels Like Home

Audio CD (February 10, 2004)

Original Release Date: April 20, 2004

Label: Blue Note Records

Bitrate: 320 kbps



Norah Jones blew everybody away with her jazzy, country-tinged, Grammy-winning debut CD, Come Away with Me. On this recording, Jones doesn't mess with her trademark formula. Under Arif Mardin's cozy coproduction, Jones is supported by her writing partners, her Handsome Band, and some special guests (country legend Dolly Parton, Levon Helm and Garth Hudson of the Band, and jazz drummer Brian Blade, to name a few). Jones's Texas-twanged vocals and her sparse acoustic and electric Wurlitzer piano lines enliven the CD's 13 tracks, from the light and lively single "Sunrise" to Tom Waits's "The Long Way Home" and the bouncy duet with Parton, "Creepin' In." Jones's soul-baring piano/vocal rendition of Duke Ellington's "Melancholia," retitled "Don't Miss You at All," proves she's a true Blue Note artist with unlimited potential. ~ Eugene Holley Jr.



The latest album from Norah Jones, "Feels Like Home" shows us a different side of a singer who clearly has some diverse tastes. Where her debut "Come Away With Me" was reminiscent of Jazz singers like Billie Holiday and Rosemary Clooney, "Feels Like Home" has more of a Gillian Welch sound to it, a feeling that's only enhanced by Jones' duet with Dolly Parton on the bouncy track "Creepin' In". But that doesn't make it any less spectacular. Jones' voice is still beautiful, her piano playing is lovely, and her backup musicians, The Handsome Band, are amazing. Fans of "Come Away" won't be disappointed, despite the change of style.



Something else that you see on "Home" that you didn't get before was more of Jones writing her own songs. Most of the tracks here are co-written, but Jones did write one track, "What Am I to you", herself. I will say that Jones is no lyrical genius, but the lyrics take a backseat to the still hauntingly beautiful instrumental work, especially on "Carnival Town", which has a nice string arrangement by the album's co-producer Arif Mardin.



So, to sum up: "Feels Like Home" is quite different from "Come Away with Me", but it's no less great. Jones maintains the casual, relaxed quality of her music, and leaves fans more than satisfied. I can't wait to see what she comes out with next. Judging from this album, she can continue experimenting with whatever style she wants, and she'll still produce a wonderful work of art. ~ Abby



Norah Jones has the unenviable task of following up a smash debut album, Come Away With Me, that hit number one (and still is in the top twenty-five after almost two years on the charts), sold eight million copies and won the big three at the Grammys, Record, Album & Song of the year. With her new release, Feels Like Home, Ms. Jones doesn't stray too far from the formula of her first album. Feels Like Home also mixes jazz, country, folk and blues, but Ms. Jones sounds more confident and mature. The song that really shows this off is "What Am I To You?", which is her only solo composition on the album. The song has a riff that grabs you right away and Ms. Jones applies a breathy vocal that rises as she reaches the chorus. She dives into 70's singer-songwriter terrain on "Toes" & "Carnival Town" that recall another woman with the same last name, Rickie Lee Jones. Ms. Jones gets Dolly Parton to provide guest vocals on "Creepin' In" which gets into bluegrass territory. The album closes out with "Don't Miss You At All" which is Duke Ellington's "Melancholia" that Ms. Jones added lyrics. Feels Like Home will probably not match the commercial success of its predecessor, but it shows that Ms. Jones is growing as a truly distictive artist who feels at home in various and distinct musical styles. ~ Thomas Magnum



Personnel:

Norah Jones - vocals, piano, Wurlitzer piano

Jane Scarpantoni - cello

Kevin Breit - guitar, acoustic guitar, banjo

Lee Alexander - lap steel guitar, double bass, bass guitar

Andrew Borger

Daru Oda - flute, background vocals

David Gold - viola



Norah Jones - Feels Like Home Tracks:

01 Sunrise

02 What Am I to You?!?

03 Those Sweet Words

04 Carnival Town

05 In the Morning

06 Be Here to Love Me

07 Creepin' In - (featuring Dolly Parton)

08 Toes

09 Humble Me

10 Above Ground

11 Long Way Home, The

12 Prettiest Thing, The

13 Don't Miss You at All