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Norah Jones - Not Too Late
(Blue Note)
Released: January 30, 2007
I distinctly remember the first time I heard Norah Jones. My wife was
listening to "Music Choice" on one of the cable channels on a Saturday
afternoon in early 2002. At exactly the same moment, she said, "Hey,
Honey! You should hear this woman," and I said, "Who is that? She's good!"
And she's still good. "Thinking of You," the pre-released single on iTunes,
is very good - in a Memphis blues kind of way. Other favorites for me were
"By My Somebody," and the haunting, "Rosie's Lullaby."
There's nothing fancy about this outing. Nothing lush, it's really a
showcase for Ms. Jones' fine voice and songwriting, mostly paired with
producer/bass player Lee Alexander.
But I suppose that's what bothers me about it. Yep, there are two or three
tracks that will get the attention of "Lite FM" or "Smooth Jazz" Music
Directors, and those will probably be the same two or three that make my
iPod mix.
For a few weeks.
And then, they'll fall off, and be replaced by those favorites I have from
the first album.
Lots of musicians start off with sparsely orchestrated made-at-home
recordings. They graduate to better.
Is Norah Jones devolving?
There's nothing bad about this disc.
But I'd expect better.
Why?
Because Ms. Jones and crew are
capable of better. As I write this, I'm tapping my toe to "Creepin'
In," from the second album, a fun tune with Dolly Parton.
Go iTune that one, if you
don't already own it. It's not just good - it's very good.
  Two
and one-half (out of four)
- Doug Boynton
(02/09/07) |
