On this 2 disc deluxe edition of her most jazzy album since her ’04 debut, Norah Jones impresses on a couple of fronts. The original album glows with the influence of her vocal style and pulse, as she teams with artists including John Patitucci/b, Dr. Lonnie Smith/org, Wayne Shorter/sax and Brian Blade/dr on evocative pieces like the moody “Burn,” “Peace” and the dreamy “It’s a Wonderful Night for Love.” Her read of Duke Ellington’s “Fleurette Africaine” is a sensuous and exotic delight as well, while “Flipside” demonstrates her ability to breath deep feelings into a verse.
The bonus disc has her in concert form with Blade, Chris Tomas/b, Pete Remm/B3 and backing vocals by Tarriona Ball & Aneluka Joseph. The 2016 gig in NYC makes the studio reads of Horace Silver’s “Peace” and Ellington’s “Fluerette Africaine” even richer in a “live” format, with a much stronger sense of swing. Her breathy take of “It’s A Wonderful Time For Love” taps into a Van Morrison’s “Moondance” vibe, while her bit hit “Don’t Know Why” is richly anthematic. As with all true jazz artists, the show is stronger than the studio . Highly recommended.