review

CD Review: Norah Jones “…Featuring”

by Monica on November 23, 2010

Norah Jones featuring

Since the very first time I sat in a dimly-lit coffee shop in Princeton and heard Norah Jones’ “Don’t Know Why” from her Come Away With Me album, I knew she was going to be one of my favorite artists ever. The mellow and soulful vocals, the jazzy piano, the cool lyrics…perfection.

Her latest album, …Featuring, is 18 tracks of diverse collaborations that span her entire career and further prove Jones’ brilliance as an artist. The result serves as a kind of parallel history to her four albums, which have sold over 40 million copies worldwide.

“A lot of the people on this record are people I’ve worshiped since I was a kid, and some of them are younger and more my contemporaries,” says Norah. “Even though the musicians are so varied, the vibe of the songs makes sense when we put them all together.”

For more information about Norah Jones, check out her Website or Facebook page. You can also catch some great performances on her YouTube channel.

norah jones album cover cd

Track Listing:

1. Love Me – The Little Willies
2. Virginia Moon – The Foo Fighters featuring Norah Jones
3. Turn Them – Sean Bones featuring Norah Jones
4. Baby It’s Cold Outside – Willie Nelson featuring Norah Jones
5. Bull Rider – Norah Jones and Sasha Dobson
6. Ruler Of My Heart – Dirty Dozen Brass Band featuring Norah Jones
7. The Best Part – El Madmo
8. Take Off Your Cool – OutKast featuring Norah Jones
9. Life Is Better – Q-Tip featuring Norah Jones
10. Soon The New Day – Talib Kweli featuring Norah Jones
11. Little Lou, Prophet Jack, Ugly John – Belle & Sebastian featuring Norah Jones
12. Here We Go Again – Ray Charles featuring Norah Jones
13. Loretta – Norah Jones featuring Gillian Welch and David Rawlings
14. Dear John – Ryan Adams featuring Norah Jones
15. Creepin’ In – Norah Jones featuring Dolly Parton
16. Court & Spark – Herbie Hancock featuring Norah Jones
17. More Than This – Charlie Hunter featuring Norah Jones
18. Blue Bayou – Norah Jones featuring M. Ward

One2One Network provided me with a complimentary copy of …Featuring. They couldn’t make me love it, though. Norah Jones did that. This album is awesome. For reals.

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CD Review: Joshua Bell’s “At Home With Friends”

by Monica on October 20, 2009

joshua bell publicity photo

I was delighted when One2One sent me a copy of Joshua Bell’s newest album “At Home With Friends.” I  simply adore Joshua Bell’s passionate violin playing.

This album is special. There is a casual, gather-with-your-best-friends, coffee-sipping vibe to this recording that makes me just want to push play and relax. And as if getting to hear Joshua Bell play the violin better than just about anyone EVER isn’t enough, this album features many other incredible musicians: Sting (Come Again is an addictive track I repeat over and over again), Kristin Chenoweth (breathtaking version of Funny Valentine), Frankie Moreno (a version of Eleonor Rigby that is hauntingly beautiful), Regina Spektor (Left Hand can only be heard on this album…and it is fabulous), Nathan Gunn (unbelievably talented), Josh Groban (singing the iconic tune from my favorite movie ever Cinema Paradiso), Rachmaninoff (yes, THE Rachmaninoff…brilliantly re-recorded here), and more. There’s even a song featuring world-renown sitarist Anoushka Shankar…a truly unique world-music experience.

The playlist looks like a veritable who’s who:

  • I Loves You Porgy featuring Chris Botti, trumpet
  • Come Again featuring Sting, vocals
  • Oblivion featuring Carel Kraayenhof, bandoneon
  • Cinema Paradiso featuring Josh Groban, vocals
  • Para Tí featuring Tiempo Libre, various
  • My Funny Valentine featuring Kristin Chenoweth, vocals
  • Maybe So featuring Edgar Meyer Sam Bush and Mike Marshall, strings
  • Grieg: Sonata No. 3 featuring Sergei Rachmaninoff (Zenph re-performance)
  • Eleanor Rigby featuring Frankie Moreno, piano & vocals
  • O, Cease Thy Maiden Fair featuring Nathan Gunn, baritone
  • Il Postino featuring Carel Kraayenhof, bandoneon
  • Left Hand Song featuring Regina Spektor, piano & vocals
  • Chovendo Na Roseira featuring Dave Grusin, piano
  • Look Away featuring Edgar Meyer, bass and Chris Thile, mandolin
  • Variant Moods: Duet for Sitar & Violin featuring Anoushka Shankar, sitar
  • I’ll Take Manhattan featuring Marvin Hamlisch, piano

I just checked out Bell’s website and see that At Home With Friends has already hit #1 on classical and crossover charts! Check out his site for great photos and information about television and stage appearances. Or go to his Facebook Fan Page and ask him a question. Or better yet…buy this album. Relax with some good friends, and let Joshua Bell serenade you!

Joshua-Bell-At-Home

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