Norah in full control of her third album

Not Too Late is the title of the third album by Norah Jones. It comes on the heels of the phenomenally successful Come Away with Me and Feels Like Home. One of the most successful artists of this generation, Norah is known for being uncompromising with her music. Part jazz, part blues, part folk and a bit country, it defies the usual classification. The common thread in her diverse catalogue is her vocals, always rendered in a simple storytelling style, almost too soft to be called singing but filling whatever message she intends for her listener with great impact.

She doubles this and everything else in Not Too Late because, Norah here does not only sing and play the piano, she is also the album’s chief songwriter. That means her control is all the more apparent in all 13 cuts. And when Norah is in control what you get is the easy vibe of somebody creating music as she goes along. The topics are off the bat and the melodies just courses along sans effort. It is obvious that she is not thinking of the first single release or how to approximate the success of Come Away with Me. She just wants to make music that is heartfelt.

The result is a collection of little beauties culled from the personal journal of somebody poised, unaffected, somewhat funny and not at all tethered by convention. The effect is no different from what you would get if you were lucky enough to have Norah at home for dinner and she decided to tinker with the piano. She starts with the sweet ballad Wish I Could, jazzes the mood a bit with Sinkin’ Ships and then goes all folksy in The Sun Doesn’t Like You. She invades R ’n B territory with Thinking About You and becomes a perky country girl in Wake Me Up.

This changing process is repeated throughout and everything ends up relaxed, easy, at times even funny. I know some of the melodies are too slow and the themes repetitive. They sound like they are sagging with the weight of pent-up emotions. But then Norah’s voice comes in and there is that sincerity, so rare, so true, so intimate, she makes you forget that you have been wondering when she will perk things up.

Not Too Late is available in the regular, just the CD, and Deluxe Editions. The latter includes a bonus DVD with videos of the cuts Thinkin’ About You, Until the End and Sinkin’ Soon, plus an interview with Norah about the album, behind the scenes footage from two video shoots and two live tracks.

Other titles included are Until the End, Not My Friend, Broken, My Dear Country, Be My Somebody, Little Room, Rosie’s Lullaby and Not Too Late.

All that jazz

Listening to Norah made me hungry for jazz and eager to check out what is happening in the US jazz scene these days. I found out something interesting. The jazz chart in Billboard Magazine has been divided into two. One is labeled Jazz, which must be the mainstream and the other one is Contemporary Jazz, which is probably the smooth, pop-influenced jazz Kenny G. popularized. But no matter the label, the albums in both lists are not only interesting, most of them make for truly great listening. Music lovers out there should make sure they check out these titles.

The Top 10 Jazz Albums: Oh My Nola by Harry Connick Jr.; From The Plantation to the Penitentiary by Wynton Marsalis; From This Moment On by Diana Krall; Feeling Good by Randy Crawford and Joe Sample; Avant Gershwin by Patti Austin; Half The Perfect World by Madeleine Peyrouz; To Love Again: The Duets by Chris Botti; Chanson du Vieux Carre also by Harry Connick Jr.; Big Bands: Music From the War Years by The BBC Big Band Orchestra; and Ray Sings Basie Swings by Ray Charles and The Count Basie Orchestra.

The Top 10 Contemporary Jazz Albums: At the Movies by Dav Koz; I’m In the Mood for Love... The Most Romantic Melodies of All Time by Kenny G; Givin’ It Up by George Benson and Al Jarreau; Shine by Boney James; White Sand by Paul Brown and Friends; The Essential Kenny G by Kenny G; Ready for Love by Walter Beasley; Forever, For Always, For Luther Volume II by Various Artists; Grand Central by Jeff Golub; and Playin’ Favorites by Peter White.