Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

Norah Jones never stays in the same musical place for long. Since the runaway success of Come Away With Me—the “moody little record,” as she describes it, that launched her career in 2002 swept the Grammys and sold over 20 million copies worldwide—the singer-pianist has defied categorization, releasing half-a-dozen diverse solo albums and singing with artists ranging from Willie Nelson to Outkast. Now Norah, 37, has returned to her roots. Day Breaks finds the “Come Away with Me” singer working with legendary musicians like saxophonist Wayne Shorter and drawing influence from a wide range of jazz. Along with covers of Duke Ellington and Neil Young, there are fresh original numbers including “...

Norah Jones is a restless soul, never settling on one sound or set of musical cohorts. The Grammy-winning songstress has previously worked with the all-male roots group the Little Willies, pop experimentalist Danger Mouse and Green Day frontman and fellow Everly Brothers lover Billie Joe Armstrong, among numerous other collaborations. Now Jones has teamed up with gal pals Sasha Dobson and Catherine Popper for a twangy, harmony-filled collection of folk and country songs. With Dobson on drums, Popper on bass and the “Chasing Pirates” singer on guitar, Puss N Boots tackle Roger Miller’s “Tarnished Angel” and Wilco’s “Jesus, Etc.” The trio harmonizes sweetly on Tom Paxton’s “Leaving London” and...

Don and Phil Everly surprised everyone in 1958 by turning their backs on a chart-topping pop career to release Songs Our Daddy Taught Us, a collection of old country and bluegrass standards originally recorded by legends like Gene Autry and Lefty Frizzell. Today it’s considered a classic. Now the unlikely duo of Norah Jones and Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong have repeated the surprise, paying tribute to the Everly Brothers by re-recording that album. With Billie Joe playing Don and Norah taking the younger Phil’s parts, they recreate the Everlys’ signature close harmony style. But there’s a modern twist: by adding a female voice, songs like “Barbara Allen” and “Oh So Many Years” take on ne...

If you haven’t followed her music in the last few years, if what you know best is the soft jazz-pop sounds of her early albums, then you’re in for a surprise. Jones’ fifth studio album, produced by Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton of Gnarls Barkley fame, is her darkest, moodiest release to date. A collection of songs about a failed relationship, it features fuzzed-out guitars, electronic effects and spooky vocals. “Breaking up is hard,” says Jones, “even if you’re the one breaking up. It’s not fun. It can be dramatic and complicated.” But there’s nothing depressing about the new album. “Happy Pills,” with its chugging beat and good-riddance lines, is refreshingly cathartic. And “Miriam,” a haunte...