Norah Jones’ Come Away with Me hit #1

Come Away with Me Norah Jones

Released: February 26, 2002 Peak: 14 US, 14 UK, 15 CN, 13 AU Sales (in millions): 2.0 US, 2.56 UK, 27.0 world (includes US and UK) Genre: adult contemporary/jazz

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to charts. Don’t Know Why (5/28/02, 29a US, 4 AC, 5 AA, 8 A40, 59 UK, 5 AU) Seven Years Cold, Cold Heart Feelin’ the Same Way (8/2/02, –) Come Away with Me (10/8/02, 12 AA, 21 A40, 80 UK) Shoot the Moon Turn Me On Lonestar I’ve Got to See You Again Painter Song One Flight Down Nightingale The Long Day Is Over The Nearness of You Total Running Time: 45:03

Rating: 4.004 out of 5.00 (average of 16 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: Nearly a year after its release, Norah Jones’ Come Away with Me nabbed the #1 spot on the Billboard album chart. A month later, Norah Jones won eight Grammys, including Album of the Year and Record and Song of the Year for the lead single, Don’t Know Why. That pushed the album to 10 million in sales domestically and a total of 27 million worldwide. “Though its surprising success…overwhelmed it, this seductively modest little record is a marvel of mood and invention. The songwriting and arrangements are sophisticated, often jazzy, yet full of catchy hooks. And Jones’ vocals are silken and perfectly turned, setting a seamless mood that could soundtrack high-end restaurants and low-rent make-out sessions alike. And the sexy double entendre of the hit ‘Don’t Know Why’ (‘…I didn’t come’) still sounds sly as hell.” RS’11 Her voice, which “is mature beyond her 22 years,” AZ has “a touch of Rickie Lee Jones” AMG while the arrangements suggest a touch of Bonnie Raitt. AMG “Her youth and her piano skills could lead one to call her an Alicia Keys for grown-ups.” AMG “Her assured phrasing and precise time are more often found in older singers as well. She is instantly recognizable, blending shades of Billie Holiday and Nina Simone without sounding like anyone but herself. Any way you slice it, she is a singer to be reckoned with.” AZ Her “debut on Blue Note is a mellow, acoustic pop affair with soul and country overtones, immaculately produced by the great Arif Mardin.” AMG “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 Wolleson; organist Sam Yahel; accordionist Rob Burger; and violinist Jenny Scheinman.” AMG Jones does “convincing readings of Hank Williams’ Cold Cold Heart, J.D. Loudermilk’s Turn Me On, and Hoagy Carmichael’s The Nearness of You.” AMG “Heart” and “Nearness” alone “are worth the price of the CD.” AZ “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.” AMG “Jones, for her part, wrote the title track and the pretty but slightly restless Nightingale.” AMG Her material, “while not bad, pales a bit next to such masterpieces. They might have fared better had she…opted for some livelier arrangements” AZ “or if the tunes had simply been given less laconic performances.” AZ Still, “while the mood of this record stagnates after a few songs, it does give a strong indication of Jones’ alluring talents.” AMG She “has all the tools; what will come with experience and some careful listening to artists like J.J. Cale and Shirley Horn is the knack of remaining low-key without sounding sleepy – sometimes less is not, in fact, more.” AZ

Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Norah Jones AMG All Music Guide review by David R. Adler AZ Amazon.com review by Michael Ross RS’11 Rolling Stone (7/8/2011). “100 Best Albums of the 2000s” First posted 3/28/2008; last updated 3/15/2024.