Norah Jones at Benaroya Hall


Norah Jones defies labels in genre-, career-spanning concert 

Jones ranged through a set that included songs from her new album as well as covers of Neil Young, Hank Williams and The Grateful Dead at Benaroya Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 19.

Norah Jones has always mixed jazz, country, folk and rock, but her concert at Benaroya Hall Wednesday (Oct. 19) demonstrated that she has become a master of them all.

Despite suffering from what she said was “a little cold” — nursing it with something from a red cup (not whiskey, she said) — Jones ranged with relaxed abandon through a career-spanning set that included eight of the 11 songs on her fine new album, “Day Breaks,” as well as tunes from “The Fall,” “Little Broken Hearts,” “Not Too Late” and “Come Away With Me.” Her set also included covers of Neil Young, Hank Williams, The Grateful Dead and jazz pianist Horace Silver.

Wearing a loose, full-length black print dress and red strappy heels, the 37-year-old chanteuse sang for more than an hour and a half and appeared to be having a wonderful time, often looking up from the piano or her guitar to flash a warm smile or to say, “‘You are awesome.”

As always, Jones created dark, atmospheric moods but managed to sound uncannily charming and optimistic. Worrisome songs like “Burn,” “Sinkin’ Soon,” “Tragedy,” “Stuck” and “Flipside” somehow yielded to the mood of her rousing closer, “Carry On.”

Jones also imbued the slightest turn in a word or phrase with musical meaning, especially in the way she changed inflections on the title word of "Tragedy". That she suddenly booted it up an octave and nailed every note was the icing on the cake.

Other highlights included the sweet country lilt of the Dead’s “It Must Have Been the Roses,” the ominously descending “Black” and Jones’ alluring whisper on her fetching new love song, “And Then There Was You.”

The third presidential debate had just ended and she got a laugh with “My Dear Country,” which included the slyly topical query, “Maybe he’s not deranged.” She also amused the crowd with her softly sarcastic piano ditty written for her dog, “Man of the Hour” (“He never cheats and he never lies”), playing both at the piano, alone.

When the band fired up the slow, deliberate groove of Young’s "Don't Be Denied" Benaroya Hall lit up like a rock hall.

After a standing ovation, Jones and her four-piece band stood downstage like a folk group — acoustic bass, guitars, drum held with shoulder strap — and sang three encores, including the irresistible
"whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo" chorus of "Sunrise" and Williams' "How Many Times Have You Broken My Heart".

It was wonderful show, though badly marred by quirky opening act Valerie June, who sang horribly out of tune on every song.

Comments

Popular Posts