She was raised in Grapevine and educated in Dallas and Denton, but the Grammy-winning superstar Norah Jones isn’t often seen in her old North Texas stomping grounds.
When her current world tour, supporting her latest LP, Visions, passes through Irving on Oct. 14, it’ll be her first solo headlining appearance here in a dozen years. (She appeared at Denton’s Oaktopia festival in 2016, and also just returned to help mourn the late Shaun Martin last month, with whom she attended Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.)
To help you prepare for the singer-songwriter’s homecoming, here are five tracks from across her acclaimed career illustrating the subtle sonic evolution of Norah Jones.
“Come Away with Me”
Although Jones’s multi-platinum debut is more than 20 years old, the title track sounds as fresh and alluring as it did upon initial release. “Timeless” is an adjective thrown around often, but Come Away with Me truly does feel at home in any era. Her remarkable career all flows from here.
“Sunrise”
For her sophomore album, Feels Like Home, Jones leaned more heavily into the melting pot of influences that come from growing up in Texas. The jazz with which she made her name is still there, but so are folk, country and pop. It’s a spirited left turn from an artist who has built her career on the unexpected angle.
“Best of All Possible Worlds”
In 2006, Jones detoured into a side project called the Little Willies, a band made up of herself, Richard Julian, Jim Campilongo, Lee Alexander and Dan Rieser. Focused predominantly on country classics, it was a phenomenal showcase for her own material, which sat alongside well-chosen covers like Willie Nelson’s “Nightlife,” Townes Van Zandt’s “No Place to Fall” and this Kris Kristofferson gem.
“Chasing Pirates”
Jones’s fourth studio album, The Fall, found her taking a bolder, slightly moodier approach which she would continue to refine. Working with producer Jacquire King, Jones introduced electric piano and tack piano to her arsenal, roughing up her heretofore smooth sound, and finding a wealth of new sonic colors with which to paint.
“Running”
Visions, Jones’s ninth and latest studio album, is the sunnier flip side to her 2020 return to a predominantly jazz-pop sound on Pick Me Up Off the Floor. This bright, sophisticated collection, produced by Leon Michels, is exemplified by the faintly R&B, lightly pop approach of this lead single.
Norah Jones at the Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory, Irving. 7:30 p.m. Oct. 14. Tickets are $23.75-$74.50.
Preston Jones is a North Texas freelance writer and regular contributor to KXT. Email him at [email protected] or find him on X (@prestonjones). Our work is made possible by our generous, music-loving members. If you like how we lift up local music, consider becoming a KXT sustaining member right here.
