Jones was a
lounge singer
before becoming a recording artist.
[15]
Before releasing her first studio album, she performed with
Wax Poetic
,
Peter Malick
, and jazz guitarist
Charlie Hunter
.
[16]
[17]
[18]
2000?2001:
New York City
,
First Sessions
edit
As Peter Malick states in the liner notes, "I started looking for a singer who might be open to recording [my latest songs] for me. On a Tuesday night, I walked into the Living Room just as the singer announced the last song of the set. The Dinah Washington classic 'Since I Fell for You' filled the room and I was struck breathless. Here, in the tradition of Billie Holiday, was a stunningly beautiful, blues infused voice. This was my first contact with Norah Jones."
[19]
Malick asked her to participate in sessions at Room 9 from Outer Space in
South Boston
, during August and September 2000. They recorded Malick's songs "New York City", "Strange Transmissions", "Deceptively Yours" and "Things You Don't Have to Do" in addition to cover versions of "All Your Love" by Sam Maghett and "Heart of Mine" by Bob Dylan. These songs became the album
New York City
(
Koch
, 2003) by the Peter Malick Group Featuring Norah Jones.
[19]
After moving to New York City, Jones signed to
Blue Note
, a label owned by
EMI Group
. The signing came as an indirect result of her performing as lead singer for the JC Hopkins Biggish Band. Shell White, who was the wife of
J. C. Hopkins
, worked for
EMI Publishing
and gave Jones's three-track demo to
Bruce Lundvall
, the label's president, and Brian Bacchus, its artists and repertoire agent (
A&R
). The demo contained two jazz standards and a song by
Jesse Harris
. The two executives agreed that Jones had potential. Despite their misgivings about the direction of her music, they signed her to the label. Bacchus told
HitQuarters
, "We let her find her own direction?... We knew that if she could develop her songwriting and we could find great songs, it would work."
[20]
2002:
Come Away with Me
edit
Bacchus thought producer and engineer
Jay Newland
's experience in jazz, blues, rock, country, and folk music would give a "feeling for her sound." Jones and Newland recorded nine demo tracks. Four appeared on the sampler
First Sessions
(2001). The rest were set aside for her debut album.
[20]
Come Away with Me
(2002) was praised for its blend of acoustic pop with soul and jazz.
[21]
Debuting at No.?139, it reached No.?1 on the U.S.
Billboard
200
. The single "
Don't Know Why
" hit No.?1 on the
Top 40 Adult
Recurrents in 2003 and No.?30 in the
Billboard
Hot 100 Singles Chart. At the 45th Grammy Awards in 2003, Jones was nominated for eight Grammy Awards and won five:
Best New Artist
,
Album of the Year
,
Best Pop Vocal Album
,
Record of the Year
, and
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
for "Don't Know Why". This tied
Lauryn Hill
and
Alicia Keys
for most Grammy Awards received by a female artist in one night. Jesse Harris won Song of the Year for "Don't Know Why" while
Arif Mardin
won
Producer of the Year
. The album won
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
.
[6]
Come Away with Me
was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (
RIAA
) for having sold one million copies. In February 2005, it was certified diamond for selling ten million copies.
[22]
2004:
Feels like Home
edit
Feels like Home
(2004) debuted at the top of the charts in at least 16 countries, including Germany, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
[23]
At the
47th Grammy Awards
in 2005, the album was nominated for three Grammys, winning one, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "
Sunrise
". For "
Here We Go Again
", a duet with Ray Charles, she won Record of the Year and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
[24]
Time
magazine named Jones one of the most influential people of 2004.
[25]
2007:
Not Too Late
edit
Jones released her third album,
Not Too Late
, on January 30, 2007. The album was the first for which she wrote or co-wrote every song. She has said some of these songs are much darker than those on her previous albums.
[26]
Not Too Late
was mostly recorded at Jones's home studio. It is her first album without producer Arif Mardin, who died in the summer of 2006. Jones described the sessions as "fun, relaxed and easy" and without a deadline; Blue Note executives reportedly did not know she was recording an album. The song "My Dear Country" is political commentary; she wrote it before the United States Presidential election day in 2004.
Not Too Late
reached the No.?1 position in twenty countries.
Not Too Late
had the third-best first week of sales in 2007, behind
Avril Lavigne
's
The Best Damn Thing
and
Linkin Park
's
Minutes to Midnight
. It reached No.?1 in the U.S., selling 405,000 copies. EMI announced that
Not Too Late
reached
gold
,
platinum
or multi-platinum in 21 countries as of February 2007.
[27]
The album has sold 4 million copies worldwide. That same year she sang "American Anthem" for the
Ken Burns
documentary
The War
.
[28]
[29]
2009:
The Fall
edit
Jones's fourth studio album,
The Fall
, debuted at No. 3 on the
Billboard
200
in November 2009, selling 180,000 copies in its first week. Although it was her first album that did not reach No. 1 in the United States it did receive critical acclaim.
[30]
As part of the promotional drive for the album, Jones performed on
Dancing with the Stars
,
Late Show with David Letterman
,
Good Morning America
and other television programs.
The Fall
featured a
St. Bernard
on the cover; his name is Ben.
[31]
The album's
lead single
, "
Chasing Pirates
", peaked at No.?13 on
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
and No.?7 on Jazz Songs.
Billboard
'
s 2000?2009 decade awards ranked Jones as the top jazz recording artist, at No.?60 best Artist.
Come Away With Me
was elected the No.?4 album and No.?1 jazz album.
Jones earned a platinum certification by the
RIAA
for sales of 1 million copies of
The Fall
. The album sold 1.5 million copies worldwide and was certified gold or platinum in 14 countries as of 2010. "
Baby, It's Cold Outside
", a duet with
Willie Nelson
, was nominated in the Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals category. In 2009, Jones performed "Come Away With Me" and "Young Blood" at the end of the
Apple Inc.
's It's Only Rock and Roll press conference on September 9 in San Francisco, for the release of iTunes 9 and video camera-equipped
iPods
, among other items
[32]
She also made a guest appearance and performed with other artists on the season three finale of the
NBC
series
30 Rock
[33]
Jones started her fourth world tour on March 5, 2010.
2012:
Little Broken Hearts
edit
After working with
Danger Mouse
and
Daniele Luppi
on some of the tracks for their album
Rome
, Jones worked with Danger Mouse again on her fifth studio album,
Little Broken Hearts
, which was released on May 1, 2012. She played the album in its entirety at
SXSW
2012.
[34]
American Songwriter
called
Little Broken Hearts
the "most dramatic and rewarding departure she's made in her career."
[35]
On May 25, 2012, she began her fifth world tour in Paris, with performances in Europe, North America, Asia, South America, and Australia. She performed in London at the
Roundhouse
on September 10, 2012, as part of the
iTunes Festival
which was broadcast on the internet. She toured three cities in India for the first time because her father wanted her to do so. She also performed a headlining performance at Summer's Day, music festival produced by Only Much Louder. The tour started at Summer's Day in Mumbai on March 3 and included stops in New Delhi on March 5 and Bangalore on March 8.
2016?2019:
Day Breaks
and
Begin Again
edit
Her sixth studio album,
Day Breaks
, which included nine new songs and three
cover versions
, was released on October 7, 2016. "Carry On", the album's lead single, was released to digital outlets on the same day.
[36]
The album marked a return to her piano after dabbling in folk and pop on the last two records. Jones said the goal of this record was to do everything live. She said in an interview with
Billboard
, "When you have great musicians, there's no reason to overdub. That strips the soul out of the music."
[37]
In 2019, Jones released a compilation album of singles she recorded from 2018 to 2019, entitled
Begin Again
and the set includes collaborations with
Jeff Tweedy
and
Thomas Bartlett
.
[38]
[39]
[40]
[41]
2020?present:
Pick Me Up Off the Floor
,
I Dream of Christmas
, and
Visions
edit
Her seventh studio album,
Pick Me Up Off the Floor
, was released on June 12, 2020. It debuted at number 87 on the US
Billboard
200, making it Jones's first album not to debut in the top three. Her eighth studio album,
I Dream of Christmas
was released in 2021,
[42]
with an expanded version released in 2022.
In 2023, Jones was featured on rapper
Logic
's song "Paradise II" from his first independent studio album
College Park
.
[43]
In March 2024, Jones released her ninth studio album,
Visions
, produced by
Leon Michels
. The album is described by
The Los Angeles Times
as "a funky, gently psychedelic garage-soul record".
[42]
Jones made a cameo appearance as herself in the 2002 movie
Two Weeks Notice
, which starred
Hugh Grant
and
Sandra Bullock
. The film shows her briefly at the piano, singing for a charity benefit.
[44]
In 2003,
The Peter Malick Group
and Jones released an album,
New York City
. Jones appeared on
OutKast
's
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
album, on "Take Off Your Cool". This album won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year (Jones was not credited). Also in 2003, Jones appeared on
Joel Harrison
's album of jazz interpretations of country and folk songs,
Free Country
,
[45]
as lead vocalist on "
I Walk the Line
" and "
Tennessee Waltz
".
[46]
Jones formed
The Little Willies
in 2003, alongside Richard Julian on vocals, Jim Campilongo on guitar, Lee Alexander on bass, and Dan Rieser on drums. The
alt country
band released its eponymous first album in 2006 and
For the Good Times
in 2012.
[47]
Jones appeared in the 2004 special,
Sesame Street
Presents: The Street We Live On
.
[48]
Jones appeared in the concert and DVD "Return to Sin City ? A Tribute to Gram Parsons". Jones performed the song "She" and then, together with
Keith Richards
of
The Rolling Stones
, sang "Love Hurts".
In 2005, Jones appeared on the
Foo Fighters
' album
In Your Honor
, performing piano and vocals on the song "Virginia Moon".
[49]
The track was nominated for a Grammy for
Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
, in 2006.
Jones appeared on
Ryan Adams
' &
The Cardinals
' 2005 album,
Jacksonville City Nights
, on the track "Dear John", which she co-wrote with Adams.
[50]
In 2011, Jones also played piano and vocals on numerous tracks on Ryan Adams' 2011 studio album
Ashes & Fire
.
Jones worked with
Mike Patton
in 2006, providing vocals on the track "Sucker" on the
Peeping Tom
project. The song attracted attention as it was the first time Jones used profanity in a recording.
[51]
In 2007, Jones made her acting debut as the protagonist in a film directed by
Wong Kar-wai
. The film,
My Blueberry Nights
, opened for the
2007 Cannes Film Festival
as one of the 22 films in competition.
[52]
She wrote and performed a song, "The Story", for the movie.
[53]
In January 2007, Jones recorded a live session at
Abbey Road Studios
for
Live from Abbey Road
. The episode, on which
John Mayer
and
Richard Ashcroft
also appeared, was aired on UK
Channel 4
and on the
Sundance Channel
. She appeared twice on the
PBS
series
Austin City Limits
, on November 2, 2002, and October 6, 2007. The latter appearance was the season opener.
In a change of direction predating
The Fall
, Jones (referring to herself as "Maddie" and virtually anonymous in a blond wig) sang and played guitar with rock band El Madmo. The band consists of Jones,
Daru Oda
and
Richard Julian
and released an eponymous album on May 20, 2007.
[54]
In 2008, she recorded a duet with
A Tribe Called Quest
front man Q-Tip, titled "Life Is Better" from his "Renaissance" LP.
Jones appears in
Herbie Hancock
's 2007 release
River: The Joni Letters
, singing the first track, "
Court and Spark
". This album won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year at the
50th Grammy Awards
in 2008; Jones was credited as a featured artist, her ninth Grammy win.
[55]
Jones is one of the participants in the so-called "
Hank Williams
Project" overseen by
Bob Dylan
, and reportedly including contributions from Willie Nelson,
Jack White
,
Lucinda Williams
, and
Alan Jackson
.
[56]
[57]
[58]
On March 31, 2008, Jones commemorated the 20th anniversary of
The Living Room
with a midnight performance at the intimate
Manhattan
music venue where the singer got her start. She played a new song entitled "How Many Times Have You Broken My Heart" and explained that it originated from newly found Hank Williams lyrics she was asked to put to music.
[57]
Jones also performed the song in late 2008 on
Elvis Costello
's talk/music television series,
Spectacle: Elvis Costello with...
.
[59]
[60]
[61]
Jones was a judge for the 5th annual Independent Music Awards, supporting independent artists' careers.
[62]
In 2010, Jones contributed "World of Trouble" to the
Enough Project
and
Downtown Records
'
Raise Hope for Congo
compilation. Proceeds from the compilation fund efforts to make the protection and empowerment of Congo's women a priority, as well as inspire individuals around the world to raise their voices for peace in Congo.
[63]
Jones released
...Featuring
, a compilation album of collaborations she has done with well-known musicians, including the
Foo Fighters
, Willie Nelson,
Dirty Dozen Brass Band
,
Outkast
,
Q-Tip
,
Talib Kweli
,
Belle and Sebastian
,
Ray Charles
,
Ryan Adams
, Dolly Parton,
Herbie Hancock
,
M. Ward
, and others. Jones said, "It's so exciting and flattering and fun when I get asked to sing with somebody that I admire.... It takes you a little bit out of your comfort zone when you're doing something with another artist. You don't know what to expect?it's kind of like being a little kid and having a playdate." The 18-track Blue Note disc was released on November 16, 2010.
[64]
Jones recorded a Christmas duet, "
Home for the Holidays
", with
Cyndi Lauper
.
As a tribute to
Steve Jobs
, Jones performed a live three-song set at the Apple Campus in October 2011. It included "Nearness of You", "Painter Song", and Bob Dylan's "
Forever Young
". Forever Young was performed in honor of Jobs, because "he liked Bob Dylan".
[65]
[66]
Jones collaborated with
Family Guy
creator
Seth MacFarlane
on his Grammy-nominated 2011 debut studio album
Music Is Better Than Words
on the song "
Two Sleepy People
". Jones also had a cameo appearance in MacFarlane's 2012 feature film
Ted
. Additionally for the film, she collaborated with MacFarlane and
Family Guy
composer
Walter Murphy
on the song "
Everybody Needs a Best Friend
", recorded on the motion picture soundtrack album and nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Original Song
. Jones would later collaborate with MacFarlane on his second studio album
Holiday for Swing
on the song "Little Jack Frost Get Lost".
Jones sang "It Came Upon Midnight Clear", "Silent Night" and "Pooping Log (Caga Tio)" on the Holiday Special 2011 of
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
.
[67]
In September 2012, she appeared in "30 Songs/30 Days" to support
Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide
, a multi-platform media project inspired by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn's book.
[68]
Jones is featured on
Robert Glasper
's 2013 album
Black Radio 2
, singing "Let It Ride".
In October 2013, it was revealed that Jones and
Green Day
front man
Billie Joe Armstrong
would be releasing a duets LP. The album, consisting of covers from the
Everly Brothers
' album
Songs Our Daddy Taught Us
, was titled
Foreverly
and released on November 25, 2013.
[69]
Jones collaborated with her half-sister,
Anoushka Shankar
, on Shankar's album
Traces of You
, released on October 22, 2013. She contributed vocals to three songs on the album.
Jones recorded an album with her country music project, an all-female trio called
Puss n Boots
, which consists of Jones,
Sasha Dobson
and
Catherine Popper
. The album, titled
No Fools, No Fun
, was released on July 15, 2014, through Blue Note Records.
[70]
In 2014, Jones played with her label-mates including
Jason Moran
,
John Patitucci
,
Brian Blade
and
Wayne Shorter
in celebration of the 75th anniversary of Blue Note Records in the Concert Hall of
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
.
[71]
[72]
Later, Jones joined
Mavis Staples
for two songs at the
Newport Folk Festival
to celebrate Staples' 75th birthday.
[73]
Jones is featured on
Harold Mabern
's 2014 album
Afro Blue
, singing "
Fools Rush In
" and "Don't Misunderstand". On September 28, 2014, she appeared at the
George Fest
tribute concert to
George Harrison
in Los Angeles, where she sang "
Something
" and "
Behind That Locked Door
".
[74]
Three days beforehand, Jones performed "Behind That Locked Door" live on the
TBS
television show
Conan
.
[75]
Her performance at George Fest was included on the 2016 album and film release of the event.
[74]
[76]
Jones duets with The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards on the song "Illusions", from his 2015 album
Crosseyed Heart
.
[77]
On May 6, 2015, Jones sang "Don't Know Why" on
The Late Show with David Letterman
, as she had thirteen years before for her first appearance on the Letterman show. The episode was broadcast within two weeks of Letterman's retirement as host. During the same year, she sang "
Little Bird
" and "
God Only Knows
" at Brian Fest.
[78]
Jones donated her voice to the end credits song from the film
A Dog Named Gucci
, on the song "One Voice". The song also features singers
Aimee Mann
,
Susanna Hoffs
,
Lydia Loveless
,
Neko Case
,
Kathryn Calder
and
Brian May
. It was produced by Dean Falcone, who wrote the film's score. "One Voice" was released on
Record Store Day
, April 16, 2016, with profits from the sale of the single going to benefit animal charities.
[79]
In 2017, Jones recorded a rendition of "
Unchained Melody
", a song made famous by
The Righteous Brothers
, for
Resistance Radio: The Man in the High Castle Album
, a soundtrack to
Amazon
's
The Man in the High Castle
TV series. The song and soundtrack were produced by
Danger Mouse
, with whom Jones worked on her 2012 album,
Little Broken Hearts
.
[80]
Begin Again
was released through
Blue Note Records
on April 12, 2019. The collection is a compilation of singles Jones recorded from 2018 to 2019, and includes collaborations with
Jeff Tweedy
and
Thomas Bartlett
. Jones planned to tour Australia and the US in support of the album, before cancelling shows due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
.
In 2020, Jones duetted with US jazz star
Kandace Springs
on the song "
Angel Eyes
" from her covers album
The Women Who Raised Me
.
From September 2022, Jones started a podcast called "Norah Jones Is Playing Along", where they played impromptu and improvised songs with a selection of guest artists including her half-sister
Anoushka Shankar
, as well as
Dave Grohl
,
Marc Rebillet
and more.
[81]
In 2023, Jones was featured on the single "Paradise II" off of rapper
Logic
's eighth studio album
College Park
.
In 2023, Jones collaborated with Icelandic jazz musician
Laufey
on two tracks, recording a cover of the classic holiday song "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and releasing an original song titled "Better Than Snow".
[82]