Norah Jones Revisits Piano Driven Jazz on ‘Day Breaks’

Amanda Nolan

Norah Jones first wowed the public with her commercial and critical 2002 smash, “Come Away With Me” and following that success, neither restricted herself to nor tried to become a pop star. Instead, she ventured into other genres and mostly remained on the outskirts of mainstream radio. In the last several years, she released country albums with The Little Willies, sang an Everly Brothers tribute duets album with Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong and collaborated with producer Danger Mouse for the moody indie pop set “Little Broken Hearts.”

While maintaining respect during her musical experimentations, some wondered if Jones would ever return to her debut sound, and those will appreciate “Day Breaks,” an album that returns to the piano driven jazz version of Jones that everyone first fell in love with. That said, this isn’t just an album that rehashes the past—Jones has taken bits of the genres picked up along the way and infused these throughout the album, making it a textured listening experience. “Day Breaks” greatly benefits from the presence of saxophonist Wayne Shorter, organist Dr. Lonnie Smith, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade, all jazz virtuosos who significantly elevate the work.

Opener “Burn” welcomes the listener into Jones’ jazz club with her alluring vocals over a smoldering bass groove. Jones includes melancholy piano jams like “Tragedy” and “Day Breaks” with upbeat songs like the bluesy and brass-heavy “Once I had a Laugh” and the jaunty “It’s a Wonderful Time for Love.” “Flipside” is an urgent song with timely lyrics of social injustice. The elegant “And Then There Was You” sounds like a classic already, capturing the essence of a pop standard from 70 years ago. Other lovely piano ballads are “Sleeping Wild” and the single “Carry On,” which is a first-rate slow dance number.

“Day Breaks” includes three cover songs. Jones sings Horace Silver’s “Peace,” makes a country flirtation with Neil Young’s “Don’t Be Denied” and does a gorgeous version of Duke Ellington’s “Fleurette Africaine (African Flower),”the ultra-smooth closing song with Jones’ signature soft vocals.

“Day Breaks” transports listeners into a smoky lounge and makes for good music al accompaniment if one is in a cozy rainy-day mood. In retrospect, her armful of 2003 Grammy Awards weren’t just a fluke for a trendy sensation. Jones has come full circle with this companion to “Come Away With Me” and “Day Breaks” is a gem of a jazz album, mixing past influences with a modern execution and making it her own with that distinctive velvet voice.

“Day Breaks” is available on Apple Music Oct. 7.