In all the shifting patterns of musical loves, one of mine always seems to shift back into focus over and over again: Jazz. Of the innumerable jazz musicians whose music I adore, I am currently most in love with the soft melodies of singer/songwriter Norah Jones. In fact, I’ll make a confession right off the bat: I’ve been listening to her music for about a month straight.
I’ll make another confession: Norah Jones puts me to sleep. That may sound like a backhanded compliment, or maybe a flat-out insult, but the truth of the matter is I know of few other singers with such a soft, lulling voice. Even her faster paced songs are “chill” enough to unwind and rest to, if not sing you to sleep. I consider it by no means a bad thing that Norah Jones’ music is sleepy music; in fact, I think it’s one of the best kinds of music, because whether wide awake or drowsy eyed the music proves relevant and appropriate. From a bustling Starbucks to a dimmed nursery, Norah Jones’ music fits just about anywhere and anytime.
Of her over one hundred tracks, narrowing down a selection of ten to call her “best” or my favorites proved less than a simple task. Of course, the research proved simple enough: sitting down to an afternoon of Norah Jones’ music serves as anything but a chore. Yet after about five hours of listening and another hour of begrudgingly cutting down my playlist, I finally arrive at a list of ten I hope you will enjoy at least half as much as I do.
1. “The Nearness of You” (Come Away With Me). This is the final track from Norah Jones’ debut album, and appropriately so. A classic jazz ballad, this song provides the perfect end to any romantic evening. It also provides an excellent conclusion to an already excellent album, sinking the listener into a comfortable place of soft piano keys and deep, half-whispered lyrics. The song opening sets a pleasant evening mood, while the finale drifts off just as all evenings do, into the dark nothing that seems so soothing to tired eyes.
2. “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today” (Higher Ground-Hurricane Relief Benefit Concert). One thing strikes me each time I listen to this track. Typically on a live album, applause can be heard at the beginning and end of, and sometimes throughout, the track. On this track, however, pleasant silence reigns at the beginning, leaving Jones to sing uninterrupted by applause or audience noise a single time. At the end, a moment of silence lingers after her final notes end before the audience begins soft applause. Images of “broken windows,” “scarecrows,” and a “pale dead moon” linger long after the song ends.
3. “Don’t Miss You at All” (Feels Like Home). This song, like “The Nearness of You”, brings Norah Jones’ album to a close. This song provides a soft yet heartbreaking melody speaking of a lost love. One cannot help but doubt lyrics like, “As I sit and watch the snow falling down / I don’t miss you at all” as the piano plays a somber yet soothing melody. Again, Norah Jones manages to capture any number of emotions in a soft and simple song.
4. “Seven Years” (Come Away With Me). This song tells the song of a little girl “Spinning, laughing, dancing to her favorite song.” Those of you who remember some of my older pieces may recall my Biggest Secret, in which I speak of a love of twirling. This was one of my first twirling songs. Even now when I listen to it I long to stand with the lights dimmed, close my eyes, and twirl with not a care in the world but the hope to sense the presence of God moving with me
5. “Sinkin’ Soon” (Not Too Late). Though still soft-it seems hard for Jones to leave this medium completely-this song’s lyrics crackle and pop across the tongue, with images of a wayward captain, a teapot on the stove, and a high shining moon. This song haunts my mind long after the lyrics end; for some reason each time I hear it I think of Alice in Wonderland, the week before Halloween, and a dream somewhere between sweet and nightmare.
6. “Humble Me” (Feels Like Home). Another softer song, this speaks of a single mother who has hit the bottom and finds herself humbled “on [her] knees, empty.” It’s a struggle to say whether this song has religious undertones-the chorus repeats over and over “Humble me, Lord” and ends “forgive me”-or is simply the woman humbled by her struggle to make it. In either case, I find this song particularly soothing at times when I feel at the end of my rope and long to feel the Lord moving in my life to humble me and bring the forgiveness I need, be it for sins against him or the guilt that plagues my thoughts.
7. “Cry Me a River” (Heaven is Creepy). This song is featured on Jim Campilongo’s album, Heaven is Creepy. Though featuring Campilongo’s Electric Trio, it remains true to Norah Jones’ characteristic softness of voice and ease of singing. The song is beautiful to hear while winding down after a busy day, or calming down after a tough situation. Like most of Norah Jones’ songs, I could play this track over and over in succession and enjoy the soothing melody and lyrics as I unwind.
8. “Don’t Know Why” (Come Away With Me). I still recall the first time I saw the video for this song; flipping through the channels after school, my brother and I happened to catch the middle of the music video playing on VH1, and couldn’t change the station. Not long afterwards I heard the track “Shoot the Moon” on NPR, and found myself hooked on Norah Jones. This will always be the song that started it all. It will always be special, because it served as my first introduction to Jones’ musical style and sultry voice. My musical interests and collection would not have been the same had I not encountered the new, enchanting style as presented through this song.
9. “My Dear Country” (Not Too Late). This song has a distinctly political sound, and seems to present Norah Jones’ views of the current President and other issues in the United States. Yet despite the conflicts between this presentation of Jones’ ideas and my own, I consider this one of her better songs in that it, like “Sinkin’ Soon”, moves away from her traditional style for a more basement sound. And I’ll make another confession here: I knew I would love this song the first time I heard it, for no other reason than that the first word: “‘Twas.”
10. Strange Transmissions” (New York City). On this album, Norah Jones pairs her musical talents with those of The Peter Malick Group. Jones doesn’t seem to typically go with Blues performances, making this all the more surprising and delightful. It’s hard to say why I like this song (maybe that’s why it’s number ten); I just do! It’s a different sound, with the same-yet in many ways better-sultry voice that makes any Norah Jones song (well, almost any) a recipient of my musical stamp of approval.
