Norah Jones - Begin Again
Qobuz 24/96
I'm not her biggest fan, but this is quite a nice album.
Labels have never been her thing… Jazz, pop, country, folk, world, Norah Jones has always played music that she has to blur boundaries. And that her collaborators include legends of jazz like Wayne Shorter, of soul like Ray Charles, of country like Willie Nelson, of rap like Q-Tip and of rock’n’roll like Keith Richards, this American has worked tirelessly to, above all, be herself. A serene and beautifully nonchalant voice capable of inhabiting her own themes as well as revisiting any song. Three years after the ambitious Day Breaks, this brief Begin Again (28 minutes, 7 tracks) is more than just a thrown-together collection of tracks. Instead, it’s a new self-portrait, alternating between assumed pop (My Heart is Full), expressive soul (It was You) and up-tempo jazz (Begin Again). To stay amongst people of taste, Jeff Tweedy from Wilco made appearances on the magnificent A Song with No Name and Wintertime. Surrounded as always by the finest musicians (Brian Blade's velvet drums are wonderful), Norah Jones masterfully guides us through this no-man’s land of a little bit of jazz, a bit pop, a bit soul. And it's as enjoyable as ever. © Clotilde Maréchal/Qobuz
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