The story goes that, in 2000, while pianist/vocalist
Norah Jones was playing regularly at the Living Room in New York's Lower East Side and well before she earned eight Grammys, she received an invitation to sing some blues with guitarist
Peter Malick and his band. Reluctantly,
Jones admitted to a paucity of blues-singing experience. Thankfully,
Malick was persistent. Listening to the rootsy, organic beauty evidenced on
New York City, you'd never know
Jones hadn't ever sung the blues. Inspired by the classic work of artists such as
Ray Charles and
Billie Holiday,
New York City is a kind of singer/songwriter blues album featuring
Jones' particularly haunting vocal style. It's more mainstream than
Come Away With Me, but fans of that album should cotton easily to
Jones' work here. Conceptualized around the post-9/11 title track, most of
Malick's songs are contemporary blues reminiscent of the work of
Bonnie Raitt and
Eric Clapton. Notably, "Strange Transmissions," a melancholy and atmospheric profession of a love that just can't be denied, showcases
Jones as mellow blues diva, while "Heart of Mine" finds the pianist's breathy style perfectly suited to the
Bob Dylan nugget. As for leader
Malick, he takes the vocal duties on "Things You Don't Have to Do" and graces most of the tracks with his thoughtful and tempered guitar sound. [The deluxe edition includes a massive amount of remixes and edits, extending the tracks enough to fill two CDs.] ~ Matt Collar