Come Away with Me

Norah Jones' debut on Blue Note is a mellow, acoustic pop affair with soul and country overtones, immaculately produced by the great Arif Mardin. (It's pretty much an open secret that the 22-year-old vocalist and pianist is the daughter of Ravi Shankar.) Jones is not quite a jazz singer, but she is joined by some highly regarded jazz talent: guitarists Adam Levy, Adam Rogers, Tony Scherr, Bill Frisell, and Kevin Breit; drummers Brian Blade, Dan Rieser, and Kenny Wollesen; organist Sam Yahel; accordionist Rob Burger; and violinist Jenny Scheinman. Her regular guitarist and bassist, Jesse Harris and Lee Alexander, respectively, play on every track and also serve as the chief songwriters. Both have a gift for melody, simple yet elegant progressions, and evocative lyrics. (Harris made an intriguing guest appearance on Seamus Blake's Stranger Things Have Happened.) Jones, for her part, wrote the title track and the pretty but slightly restless "Nightingale." She also includes convincing readings of Hank Williams' "Cold Cold Heart," J.D. Loudermilk's "Turn Me On," and Hoagy Carmichael's "The Nearness of You." There's a touch of Rickie Lee Jones in Jones' voice, a touch of Bonnie Raitt in the arrangements; her youth and her piano skills could lead one to call her an Alicia Keys for grown-ups. While the mood of this record stagnates after a few songs, it does give a strong indication of Jones' alluring talents. ~ David R. Adler

畠山美由紀さんもカヴァーアルバムの２曲目で披露している「ｄｏｎ’ｔ　ｋｎｏｗ　ｗｈｙ」収録。ジャズの名門ＢＬＵＥ　ＮＯＴＥからのデビューアルバム。アコースティックでスモーキーな渋さがアルバム全体を包み落ち着いたハスキーな歌声に胸が熱くなります。全ての女性達に・・・。男性は愛する女性へのプレゼントに。 (C)ANCHOR

優しく憂いを含んだ歌声、神秘的な大きな瞳。ブルー・ノートからのニューカマー、ノラ・ジョーンズ。チャーリー・ハンター『Songs From The Analog Playgrond』への参加で知られ、今作ではブライアン・ブレイド、ビル・フリゼールといったプレイヤーがバックアップ。しかしながらジャズ・シンガーというよりも、ジョニ・ミッチェルをはじめとした女性シンガーの系譜に加えたい。優しすぎてゾクゾクくる。
bounce (C)大石　始