For more than two decades, singer-musician Norah Jones has soothed her listeners’ ears. She lets her fingers delicately caress the piano keys while her calm, jazz-inspired lyric soprano wraps around the melodies like a warm blanket.
But the nine-time Grammy winner refuses to overthink making music or about her success. The sultry vocalist behind “Don’t Know Why” and “Chasing Pirates” will perform at Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park on Saturday behind her ninth album, “Visions,” with singer-songwriter Emily King opening.
Jones’ last stop in Atlanta was in 2017 to promote her “Day Breaks” LP at the Fox Theatre. “It’ll be nice to play outside again, so hopefully the weather will be good because Atlanta has one of the best audiences ever,” Jones said.
Released in March, “Visions” is a 12-track effort produced by saxophonist Leon Michels. The album is rich with harmonies and sonics reminiscent of ‘60s soul and psychedelic pop. Jones said she named the retro-sounding album, made with mostly vintage instruments, “Visions” because her creative ideas usually come to her overnight.
“I used voice memos to sing parts. It’s always quiet, so I’m not trying to wake anybody up. I love those moments when things come in flashes,” Jones said.
The “Visions” tour is Jones’ first to feature two background vocalists, Sasha Dobson and Sami Stevens, to fill out the harmonies. She’s playing guitar more to get in front of the audience.
She and Michels first collaborated in 2021 on the song “Can You Believe.” Later that year, the pair recorded her holiday album “I Dream of Christmas.” Jones and Michels spent the next 18 months recording “Visions.” They wrote eight songs together, preferring to keep their creative process sporadic and random.
“We only worked three hours one or two days per week and had so much fun. It was always between kid pickups, but we liked what we had,” Jones said.
Jones first performed in Atlanta at Variety Playhouse in 2002, followed by Atlanta Civic Center later that year. The following year, Jones collaborated with Outkast member Andre 3000 on the acoustic ballad “Take Off Your Cool” from the Atlanta rap duo’s bestselling double album “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.” She says she sat in amazement watching Andre 3000 quickly record all of his vocals and harmonies from scratch without tweaking it on the recording console.
“Being a part of that album was one of the coolest things I’ll ever do,” she said.
Credit: Photo by Joelle Grace Taylor
Credit: Photo by Joelle Grace Taylor
In 2011, Jones worked with producer and former Stone Mountain resident Danger Mouse for her “Little Broken Hearts” album released the following year. The three-octave vocalist was accustomed to going into the studio with musicians and recording pre-written songs.
But that changed with Danger Mouse. She started writing most of her songs in the moment, with the UGA alum encouraging her to let her ideas flow. “I had anxiety about not being able to come up with something. He likes to go in with nothing and was interested in doing something like that with me. It was eye-opening,” Jones said.
The daughter of late sitar player Ravi Shankar and half-sister of musician Anoushka Shankar, Jones has favored improvisation since arriving on the scene in 2002 with her debut album, “Come Away With Me.” Her breakout piano-led single, “Don’t Know Why,” was one of several live demos she recorded.
“The whole record was recorded like an old jazz album. We liked the feel of it, so we didn’t mess with it too much. When you have a great take, it feels better than overworking it,” Jones said.
“Come Away With Me” blended pop, folk and jazz and became a massive success. It went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album charts, sold more than 12 million copies, earned a Diamond award from the Recording Industry Association of America and five Grammy Awards. It turned Jones into a superstar.
Jones’ popularity led to her experimenting with other styles and collaborating with diverse artists such as pianists Ray Charles and Robert Glasper, country singer Willie Nelson and rock artists Dave Grohl and Billie Joe Armstrong. Jones said she learned to appreciate singing outside her register while working with rapper-producer Q-Tip on “Life is Better” in 2008.
“It’s about sounding honest and meaning what you’re saying. I push my voice in different places that I’m not comfortable with, but it was a lesson to not be afraid to try new things,” she said.
In September 2022, she launched a podcast, “Norah Jones is Playing Along,” featuring her conversing and performing with other musicians. She likes the platform because it frees the musicians of industry politics.
“It’s an intimate, lovely way to connect with musicians and a cool way to meet and collaborate with people without getting approvals for release dates,” she said.
Jones said she’s now starting to accept her fame and popularity after releasing her first album 22 years ago. “Money and awards are weird,” she said, “but it makes me feel warm and fuzzy to know that what I’m doing is worth anything to people.”
CONCERT PREVIEW
Norah Jones
8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21. Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park. 4469 Stella Drive NW, Atlanta. 404-233-2227, chastainparkamp.com
