Norah's Music: Heart to Heart

by: Mike Leggett

For the last few weeks there has been a surge of interest in Norah and her music.  Since the Grammys, sales of her CD "Come Away With Me" have soared to a total of over 9 million worldwide.  Her recently released DVD "Live in New Orleans" has already reached the number 21 spot on Amazon's Hot 100 DVDs.  Many people heard of her and of her music for the first time as they watched the Grammys.  What is it about her that has so captivated so many in such a short period of time?  What are others just finding out that many of us have known for some time?  What has taken a style of music that usually gets no attention from MTV, VH1 or the many "Top 40" radio stations around,  unto one that gets a lot of airplay?  Each of us probably have our own answers to those and related questions.  Here is my attempt to define why I have fallen in love with the music of Norah Jones.

Let me begin by saying that I am not a fan of Jazz nor anything approaching that genre.  Further, many of the songs that Norah has covered, when sung by their original or previous artist, I found very unappealing. "Tennessee Waltz" would be the perfect example of this.  I have heard that song many times over the years, performed by many different artists and it would be safe to say that I have never liked it at all.  Yet, when Norah sings it, it's like I am hearing it for the first time.  The words speak a message to my heart that I have never heard before.  "Turn Me On" is another example.  I've heard it before and it did little for me, but it is probably one of my favorite Norah songs.  The softness of her voice, the way she sings the words, the way she pauses at just the right time; they all make it an experience like no other.  So I guess I love her music because I love her voice and the "how she sings", but then I could make that same statement about a number of current and past artists, so there must be more.

Anyone who knows me, is well aware that most of my favorite music is performed by female artists.  My taste in music ranges from Patsy Cline to Pink.  My current favorites include Michelle Branch, Vanessa Carlton, Kasey Chambers, Dana Glover, Robinella and of course Norah, just to name a few.  Beyond that, I could go further and say that it is the sad love ballads that these artists do that really stand out as my favorites.  So, for me, I seem to like sad love songs performed by beautiful female artists.  I refer to this kind of music as my "mood confirming" music.  Well, many have commented about Norah's physical characteristics as part of her reason for success.  She has a beautiful physical presence from her long flowing her to those eyes that make it feel like she is singing just to you, as if there was no one else in the room.  That physical beauty coupled with

So far, I've yet to say anything that couldn't be said about other artists, so there must be more.  One of the things that stands out for me, and I'm sure others have noticed in her interviews, she is doing what she does for her own happiness and not necessarily for others.  At first, that doesn't make a lot of sense until you realize that what she does makes her happy.  She is not on stage or in a recording studio trying to figure out how to "sell herself" or her music.  She just does what she wants to do and her honest "performance" captures our hearts.  She is playing and singing that which comes from deep within her.  She is not trying to "sell" herself to me or anyone else.  We, as listeners, get to go along for the ride, but we are never taken for one.  She resists all attempts to market herself or her music.  She never demands anything of us.  We can listen, enjoy and ultimately buy her music or not.  Her happiness comes from the playing and the singing, not from anything else.  Indeed it is a welcome change from the "produced" and "marketed" artists that so frequent the music scene these days.  It is that open honest persona that adds to her appeal.

I'm still not sure I have really answered anything, but I would like to add one very abstract thing that is probably the most important in explaining why I love Norah's music.  It is very similar to the idea of love.  Why do we fall in love with a particular person?  How can it be that one person stands out above all the rest?  Where we attracted by their face, their eyes, their hair, their personality or maybe their intelligence?  Do we really know the answer to that?  All I know is that ever so often that person comes along that we can not get out of our head.  We think about them, we want to hear their voice, we dream about them and cannot imagine being without that person.  We can say that it was one "feature" that attracted us, but in reality it is the "whole package" that keeps our hearts and minds always with them.  Such is Norah's music to me.  The individual features stand on their own, but it is the whole package that keeps me coming back.  The face, the voice, the music, the honesty and all that makes Norah the person she is are the things that attract me and what will keep me coming back.

To all of  us who are Norah fans, we can know that we have yet to hear the best of Norah.  We can eagerly anticipate her growth as an artist and a person and  that we can watch, listen and drift off to the dreams that her music creates in us.  Norah, continue to do what makes you happy and don't mind us a we watch and listen.  Thank you for the music that goes from your heart to ours.