Make way for Norah Jones

Norah Jones, a virtual unknown from Dallas, Texas, is causing such tremendous excitement all over the world. A gifted singer, pianist, composer trained in the art of jazz, Norah Jones is the exact opposite of a teen pop queen of the music video generation like Britney Spears and Mandy Moore. She rarely stands up from her piano bench while performing; nor does she dance or look straight into the camera pretending to see you, and she certainly doesn’t resort to theatrics to make you listen to her music. She just sits there, playing, singing, whispering, rejoicing, aching. Her music is as simple, heartfelt, honest and beautiful as her performances, and for once, everyone is listening.

It’s all there in her recently released debut, Come Away with Me. Critically acclaimed, the album got rave reviews at the Boston Globe and Washington Post. Entertainment Weekly then selected her as one of the "Brand New Heavies" and Rolling Stone included her in "The Next Wave: 10 Artists to Watch."

So why all the attention for a newcomer? You have to hear the album to understand. Successfully blending jazz, soul, country and folk pop, Norah Jones is not just another wonder kid (she’s only 22 ) but also a serious and talented artist. She was brave enough to go against the tide, the times and the trends to try and make a name in the world of Britney and Christina Aguilera-electronically manufactured pop.

The album contains the title track Come Away With Me and Nightingale, both of which Jones composed, as well as The Long Day is Over which she co-wrote. Describing herself as an old soul with a passion for old, unforgettable and eternally beautiful music, she also pays tribute to some of her musical influences in this album.

She puts a sophisticated, heartfelt spin on Hank William’s Cold Cold Heart, one of the album’s most successful covers. She also uses material from other renowned artists such as Hoagy Carmichael and J.D. Loudermilk, artists who are virtually unknown outside of the US but are sure to be re-discovered by Jones’ fans. As a reminder to everyone that she’s primarily a jazz artist, she uses her rendition of The Nearness of You as a final track. Other tracks in the album include Seven Years and Feelin’ The Same Way, among others. Arif Mardin produced most of the songs. He is responsible for classic albums by such greats as Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield, Roberta Flack, Laura Nyro and Willie Nelson.

Listen to her debut album to know why she has created so much buzz. Sparingly accompanied by her own piano playing, guitars, a stand-up bass and the gentle swishing of brush on drums, Jones sings with a voice that is soft and sweet and at the same time tense and sometimes weary. Her music reminds you of quiet, cloudy mornings by the window or dressed-up, romantic cocktail parties even when you’re listening to her on a stormy afternoon. Local jazz artists will probably classify her music as "smooth jazz" for convenience but Jones herself has been quick to point out that hers is "not really a jazz record." She revealed in a TV interview once that "Jazz was what I wanted to do when I started making the album but I was also getting into other things with my songwriter-friends. We made some demos, and they kind of came out like the records-in that kind of style."

Come Away With Me, distributed locally by EMI-Philippines, is available at all record bars in CD and cassette formats.

Fantastic fusion

Jesuit Communications presents a fantastic fusion of faith and folk by Noel Cabangon billed as Huwag Mangamba: Mga Awit Ng Pagtatagpo.

The album features most of the songs from the original Narito Ako album, plus several additional recordings, remade as only Noel Cabangon can. Mixing folk guitars, classical strings, rock and jazz voices and even operatic singing, Noel provides vibrant new versions of the songs you have come to love. Hear Panginoon, Aking Taglaw, Paghahandog and other favorites like you’ve never heard them before.

Huwag Mangamba is produced by the Jesuit Music Ministry of the Jesuit Communications Foundation and is distributed nationwide by BMG Pilipinas.