> Does it? I think that Noarh Jones has a stunning voice. There is a > natural, unstrained quality that is rarely heard these days. > > The grammies do suck, but Norah Jones and Emimem don't. Your loss if > you dismiss them out of hand. > > Best, > > David
I agree wholeheartedly with David about Norah Jones. She has a lovely, soulful voice and she sings with such honesty. I agree that, for the most part, the writing on her debut leaves something to be desired with the exception of two songs. Hank Williams' 'Cold, Cold Heart' which Norah almost makes the listener forget is a C&W song and the final cut, the lovely Hoagy Carmichael/Ned Washington standard, 'The Nearness of You'. There are one or two others that are slightly above the rest - 'Come Away With Me' (one of the songs that Norah herself wrote), and 'Turn Me On'. I don't think Norah is going to be known as a songwriter. She is making her name as a very fine, maybe great, singer. The first couple of times I listened to her cd, I also thought 'nice but kinda bland.' After repeated listenings, I have changed my mind. I think Norah just might have that rare talent that Billie Holiday had of being able to transform mediocre material into something special. Is it profound? No. Does it make you wanna rock out? No. Does it make you want to write your congressman or join a protest march? No. It does make you feel good. It does me anyway. It also taps into human feelings and experience, thanks to Norah's extraordinary ability to communicate in a straightforward and honest way with a natural sounding, beautiful voice. Norah seems to be very humble from what I have read about her and heard her say in interviews. She never wanted to started out at the top. She wants room to grow and somewhere to go. Let's hope she is allowed that. This is only her first album, for crying out loud! Cut her some slack! And does a truly fine singer have to write their own material to be worth listening to? Hmmm.....Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield, Tony Bennett, Janis Joplin, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan (for you, Stephen in Vancouver!)....need I say more? I've been trying to think of a Joni song that I would like to hear Nora sing. Maybe 'I Don't Know Where I Stand' or 'Marcie' - one of Joni's earlier, 'ingenue' songs. Or 'Woman of Heart and Mind' (listening to For the Roses today - what a brilliant album!) Btw, I don't think that just because 'Travelogue' is old material that there is nothing there worth discussing. If nothing else, the differences between the original versions and the Travelogue versions would make for some interesting discussions, imo. Mark in Seattle
