Norah Jones 5/28/2003

There are a dozen words that can be used to describe an amazing talent like Norah Jones. After watching her performance at the FleetBoston Pavilion, in Boston, MA, two that immediately come to mind are class and grace. The 24-year-old multi-platinum singer made her first trip to Boston since her sweep at the Grammys where she was instantly transformed from lounge singer to mega superstar. Selling more than 6 million copies of her debut release Come Away With Me, Norah could have easily sold out a larger venue such as the Tweeter Center. However, the FleetBoston Pavilion (Harborlights to the diehards in Boston) is perfect as her sultry voice and smooth jazz grooves are well suited for the intimacy of a smaller venue.

Norah came on stage shortly after 9pm and played nearly a full two-hour set in front of a packed-house of gracious and respectful fans that listened attentively and interacted playfully with the diva-in-making. One fan brought her a hot-dog, which she had requested, and Jackson, a fan that couldn't have been more than six years old, made his way to the stage to present Norah with a bouquet of flowers. Equally gracious was the humble Jones who chatted with the audience in between songs, giggling and joking with us as if we were all sitting in her living room.

Dressed in "stretch denim jeans" (early on in the set Norah said how stretch denim is the best invention ever) and a sleeveless black shirt, the super sexy New Yorker could easily get away with the flashy antics that some other twenty-something pop stars are doing these days. But instead of focusing on piercings and sexual innuendos, the classy Jones focuses on her incredible voice and the wonderful music that her band creates. It's so refreshing to see a simple, modest attitude in an industry filled with plastic, marketing driven showpieces.

Her set opened with several songs from Come Away With Me, "Cold Cold Heart", "Turn Me On", "Nightingale", "One Flight Down", and "Feelin' the Same Way.” followed by "Sleepless", a cover from the Everly Brothers. She then proceeded to play a few new songs from her forthcoming album set to be released sometime next year, followed by the debut title track, "Come Away With Me". The rest of her set was a mix of some old songs, including "Lonestar", "Painter Song" and her mega hit and set closer "Don't Know Why", some new songs as well as a fabulous version of Gram Parson's "She", the chorus of which "she sure could sing" pretty much summed up the evening in a nutshell.

Her new material is funkier and livelier than her previous songs, with influences from funk and bluegrass and extended jams from Norah's band mates on several of the tracks. One new song in particular, "Creep On In" is an amazing bluegrass number where the entire band, including Norah, stands in a circle while delivering a powerful performance that leaves you breathless.

The band came out for the encore and played three more songs including The Band's "Bessie Smith" a great rendition of "Seven Years" and to almost everyone's surprise, Norah and her band closed the show with an AC/DC cover "Ride On". The version of "Ride On" was almost indistinguishable from the original, but incredible nonetheless.