Norah Jones: Day Breaks

In what might be her jazziest album yet, Norah Jones gets into some late night smoky moods on this mix of originals and jazz covers. It’s going to be hard to beat her teammates on this session, as Wayne Shorter/ss, John Patitucci/b, Brian Blade/dr, Pete Remm/B3 and  Chris Thomas/b are just a few of the bona fides here. What’s even more amazing is that at this juncture of her career, Jones’ phrasing is alarmingly similar to mid career Billie Holiday (circa Decca years) as she goes saloon singer on Horace Silver’s “Piece” and honky tonking with a B3 on “Carry On.” She goes sub-toned as she  wisps through pieces such as “And Then There Was You” as Dave Eggar’s string arrangement creates a rich texture, while Neil Yong’s “Don’t Be Denied” has her get almost subliminal. A cozy trio with Thomas and Blade have Jones at her most intimate in “It’s A Wonderful Time For Love” and rich treats bookend the album, with Shorter’s soprano creating icy textures on the opening  “Burn” and Left Bank bohemia on the closing take of Duke Ellington’s “Fleurette Africaine.” This one’s a real eye opener, with maturity and jazz embers oozing through every crevice.

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