Norah Jones rose to stardom at age 23 with her debut album Come Away With Me – instantly selling over 160,000 copies worldwide and becoming an instant classic! Combining jazz, folk, and country genres into her signature sound.
Visions was released as her ninth studio album last fall and debuted at No. 1 on the Contemporary Jazz Albums chart, marking Leon Michels as her latest collaborator to provide exquisite acoustic improvisation.
Born in Dallas, Texas
Norah Jones’ signature blend of jazz, traditional vocal pop, bluesy country, and contemporary folk derives from her unconventional upbringing as daughter of Ravi Shankar. From an early age she was exposed to different forms of music which she found expression through church choir singing and voice lessons.
After graduating from Booker T Washington High School for the Performing Arts in Dallas, she attended University of North Texas to major in jazz piano while singing with their Jazz Singers ensemble UNT Jazz Singers and earning two Down Beat Student Music Awards in 1996 and 1997.
Jones first rose to fame after moving to New York City and signing with Blue Note Records and releasing her debut album Come Away With Me, garnering critical acclaim for her delicate yet soothing vocals set against intimate jazz-influenced acoustics. On her 2004 follow up Feels Like Home she broadened her musical palette further by including both acoustic guitar and moody electric instrumentation in her soundscape.
Raised in Colleyville, Texas
Norah Jones shot to stardom with the release of her debut album Come Away With Me (2002), an easygoing blend of jazz, folk and pop that generated adult contemporary radio favorite in “Don’t Know Why”. Jones went on to win nine Grammy awards that year including album, record and new artist of the year honors.
At University of North Texas, she met future collaborator Jesse Harris while giving him a ride home from a concert. Later, Jesse sent her lead sheets and they began writing songs together.
Jones has since appeared on numerous television programs, such as Dancing with the Stars and Late Show with David Letterman, as well as touring internationally. She collaborated with Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane on his 2011 Grammy-nominated album Music Is Better Than Words; additionally she made an appearance in Ted.
Norah Jones remains grounded despite her extraordinary success, often returning with her band to Texas cities to perform. Her humility and down-to-earth nature, combined with excellent musicianship, endear her to millions of fans worldwide.
Moved to New York City in 1999
After studying jazz piano for two years at the University of North Texas, Jones moved to New York City in 1999. While serving tables at a Greenwich Village restaurant she sang jazz standards with local musicians such as Jesse Harris and Richard Julian before recording demos that would eventually earn her a contract from Blue Note Records.
Norah’s debut album, Come Away with Me, quickly won over listeners and won her the 2003 Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Three albums later she released The Fall as a darker exploration of love and heartache with moody electric instrumentation mixed with rock and soul influences expanding her musical palette further.
With her latest release, Day Breaks (2019), Jones has come full circle, returning to her jazz-inflected sound of her debut. Her vocal range has grown stronger and deeper; and the songs showcase an artist who has fully matured over time. Jones now stands as an iconic American artist of our era, weaving together threads from various American musical genres into an unmistakably unique sound that resonates across genres and generations of popular music.
Signed to Blue Note Records in 2001
As Norah Jones first made her mark in New York City in 1999, she found success playing club circuit gigs and landing an audition with guitarist Peter Malick’s band. They recorded several songs which would later become “New York City,” released under KOCH Records’ umbrella in 2001.
Jones’ work with Malick band led to her recording contract with Blue Note Records, known for championing jazz greats such as Thelonious Monk. Blue Note Records initially had reservations about Jones fitting into traditional jazz genre, but Brian Lundvall encouraged a debut album which showcased her talents.
Come Away with Me was released early 2002 and quickly cemented Norah Jones as a major talent. Working alongside producer Arif Mardin, Norah created tracks combining singer/songwriter-style tracks with blues, country and Norah’s own unique take on piano jazz mellowness. Additionally, Come Away With Me displayed Norah’s songwriting skills and vocal range – as well as being her introduction to music audiences around the globe.