It is undeniable that Norah Jones’ voice is full of soul and infused with the blues.
The 44-year-old has nine Grammy awards under her belt and was named the top jazz artist of the 2000s.
Her greatest hits include ‘Come Away With Me’ and ‘Don’t Know Why’.
Since her debut in 2002, the Texan singer has shared her comforting vocals and familiar lyrics with the world.
But Jones has not released an album since 2021, leading people to question the intentions behind her UK tour.
What is Norah Jones promoting by visiting the likes of Birmingham, London, and Manchester?
The answer to this question was realised by the audience at Bridgewater Hall on Wednesday night – Norah Jones is touring to share the pure love she has for music.
Jones used to be a lounge singer, and she made Bridgewater Hall feel like a warm and intimate venue, despite it seating almost 2,400 people.
She even took the time to bless someone who sneezed in the depths of the audience.
As Jones displayed the full flavour of her repertoire, the audience trusted in her voice to hit every note.
Between the songs in her set, she did not speak much – but there was no need to as her lyrics resonated deeply with everyone in the hall.
With songs capturing the nuances of being alive, Norah enjoyed her individual moments onstage.
The American positioned herself behind the piano as well as the guitar, which she has played more in recent years with side hustles such as her band Puss n Boots.
Jones joked her guitar was ‘red on red’ against her structured blazer.
But most of the concert saw her being skilfully supported by a three-member band that lifted her songs well away from their recorded versions.
The songs ‘Sunrise’ and ‘Nightingale’ were particular stand-outs.
Jones rocketed to stardom at the age of 23, and she provided a platform for another young artist to do the same on Wednesday evening.
Emily Elbert opened for Jones by showcasing songs that can only be described as a worship of being alive.
Elbert made her guitar sound unlike a guitar – the notes she played were cosmic, which is incidentally the name of one of her songs.
The 34-year-old’s vocals rolled effortlessly over the notes she had written.
She has been carving her career for a few years already by touring with Jacob Collier and writing songs with names such as Bruno Major.
But Elbert certainly warmed up the Bridgewater Hall stage for fellow Texan Norah Jones.
Jones did her career justice in just over an hour – UK audiences can only hope that she will soon be back to showcase more.
