Norah Jones was born on March 30, 1979 in New York City. Jones is the daughter of renowned musician, Ravi Shankar. Shankar, who is known as an Indian sitar legend and a close Beatles associate, never really knew his daughter nor played a significant role in her early years. Even in present day, Jones still does not like to talk about her father. She has admitted, however, that they now share a close relationship. Jones, in fact, grew up with her single mother in Texas. While growing up, both Jones and her mother would listen to jazz and blues greats, Billie Holiday and Bill Evans. Jones’s true talent began to show and develop when she went to high school. She attended the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, Texas. In 1996, Jones won the Down Beat Studios Music Award for Best Original Composition and Best Jazz Vocalist. In 1997, she won Best Jazz Vocalist once again.
After high school, she went on to attend the University on North Texas where she began to study for a degree in jazz. She had been in school for two years when her friend convinced her to sublet a home for the summer in Greenwich Village. Jones had all intentions of returning to school, but was so drawn into the jazz scene and coffeehouses that she never went back to her Texas school. She began playing with a punk/fusion band named Wax Poetic. Jones then went on to form her own band. The band was comprised of all songwriters who played instruments as well. It included Jesse Hains (guitar), Lee Alexander (bass), and Dan Rieser (drums). In October 2000, the group created demos for Blue Note Records, and in early 2001 she signed to the company.
In 2000, Jones was featured on Charlie Hunters’ album, Songs From the Analog Playground. In 2001, she began to perform with Hunter at concerts. Later that year she began recording her debut album. Jones’s debut album, Come Away With Me, was recorded by Craig Street (Cassandra Wilson, Manhattan Transfer, K.D. Lang) and producer by famous producer Arif Marden (Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield, the Bee Gees, George Benson, Ray Charles, Judy Collins, Donny Hathaway, Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, Bette Midler, Willie Nelson, Laura Nyro, John Prine, Diana Ross, Carly Simons, Barbara Streisand, Dionne Warwick, Culture Club, Scritti Politti). The album featured jazz legends Bill Frisell and Brian Blade on vocals. Jones did a cover of Hank William’s hit, “Cold Cold Heart” and a cover of J.D. Loudermik’s song, “Turn Me On.” Hoagy Carmichael wrote “The Nearness of you.” Jones penned both “Come Away With Me” and “Nightingale.” The album, Come Away With Me, was soon released in February 2002. At first, Jones received immediate attention, not for her music but due to who her father was. Critics claimed the singer was gaining popularity solely through her father and her good looks. Jones began touring the west coast. While doing so, more people began to listen to her album and see the young singer’s talent. The nation was shocked when she was nominated for eight Grammy Awards at the 45th annual Grammys. Jones shocked everyone when she won every category she was nominated for at the Grammys, including Best New Artist, Best Album, and Song of the year for “Don’t Know Why.”
Soon after the Grammys, Jones received a lot of media attention, and was catapulted into superstardom. The single, ‘Don’t Know Why,” was receiving much air time on radio stations, and the video was placed on high rotation on VH1. One week after the January Grammy Award Show, Jones’s album, which had been out for almost one year, went to number one on the Billboard Top 200 Chart. Since the few moths after the Grammy, Jones has been very quiet. She is working on a new album. Critics continue to speculate whether she will be just another one-hit wonder or will she turn out an even more popular album soon.
Bio written by: bandhunt |
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