Don’t Know Why Norah Jones

Don’t Know Why Norah Jones, This was written in 1999 by a songwriter and guitarist named Jesse Harris. A few weeks after he wrote it, he recorded it with a violinist and released it under the name Jesse Harris and The Ferdinandos. He sold the album on his web site.
Harris knew Jones because they were both musicians in New York City, but he didn’t have Jones in mind to sing this because she was a Jazz singer. When he joined Jones’ band in 2000, he considered using a female voice on the song and offered it to Jones. She changed the key to fit her voice and added a drum beat. She still thought of it as just a demo, but it got the attention of an executive at Blue Note Records, who offered her a record deal. Harris wrote four other songs on the album as well.
This was recorded as a demo in one take in October, 2000. Harris played guitar and almost stopped the take because he didn’t like the mix in his headphones. He kept going and was glad he did, since that was the keeper. Jones and her band were willing to do another take, but the engineer, Jay Newland, thought it was perfect and wouldn’t let them. They did try some more takes in another session, but the results were too convoluted, and Jones was assigned to a different producer, Arif Mardin. He had worked with many famous artists, including Aretha Franklin, and was brought in to capture Jones’ distinctive sound. He did this by keeping the original demo take and adding some guitar and a vocal harmony, which made Jones harmonize with herself.
This first got attention when it was heard on US public radio stations, which typically have a very mature and upscale audience. This helped get it played in coffee bars, bookstores, and other retail venues. Jones was just 21 when this was recorded, but she appealed to the older crowd because of her sound and her father. Her dad is Ravi Shankar, an Indian musician famous for teaching George Harrison how to play the sitar. Most of the MTV generation had no idea who he was, but the public radio audience did.
The first few months after the Come Away With Me album was released, it was priced around $8. This encouraged people to buy it and helped market the album through word of mouth, as most people who bought it gave it a good review. This was known as the “slow build” strategy.
Jones cleaned up at the Grammys, winning all five awards she was nominated for in 2003. This won for Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year, while the album won Best Pop Vocal and Best Engineering. Jones also won Best New Artist and performed “Don’t Know Why” on the show.
Even after he was nominated for a Grammy for writing this (Record Of The Year), Harris continued to play small clubs in New York City for tips. The night of the Grammys, he was scheduled to play a club that fits about 80 people.
Jay Newland, who engineered the recording, said he was trying to make this sound like the records he grew up listening to in the late ’60s and early ’70s, especially Joni Mitchell.
This song was almost the victim of record company stupidity. When the album started selling and the song was apparently a hit, Virgin Records, who owned Blue Note, thought radio stations would prefer a different version and remixed it with a dance beat and processed vocals. Jones thought it sounded ridiculous and insisted on distributing the version from the album to radio stations.
Jones performed this on Sesame Street with lyrics lamenting the letter “Y” – “Don’t know why Y didn’t come.” The letter “Y” eventually shows up, everyone gets along and we learn something in the process.

Celebrity Genealogy

Celebrity Genealogy, With genealogy often cited as the second most popular hobby, I’ve never understood why it’s been largely ignored on TV. We’ve got channels dedicated to everything from golf to going green, but aside from shows such as History Detectives and Antiques Roadshow that occasionally incorporate a dash of family history, genealogy has been badly neglected. Finally, that’s about to change.

Active and armchair genealogists across the country — not to mention those who can’t know enough about their favorite celebrities — will soon be treated to two shows offering a combined 11 episodes of prime time programming. Starting on February 10th and running 8:00-9:00 p.m. for four Wednesdays will be Faces of America, the latest PBS series by Henry Louis “Skip” Gates, Jr. Just two days after this series winds down, Who Do You Think You Are? (WDYTYA) will ramp up for seven episodes (Fridays, 8:00-9:00 p.m.) on NBC.

I suppose now might be an appropriate time to confess that I’m not a disinterested party as I conducted research for both of these series and had the opportunity to write the companion book, Who Do You Think You Are?: The Essential Guide to Tracing Your Family History, for one. Still, I can honestly say that my excitement would be as high even if I had had nothing to do with them. Genealogy will make for great TV for one simple reason: there’s no such thing as a boring family. This is reality television that was scripted before TV existed.

Both shows offer considerable, multicultural star power that will appeal even to those who have never looked up a census record or interviewed an older relative. The PBS line-up includes Yo-Yo Ma, Queen Noor, Malcolm Gladwell, Eva Longoria Parker, Mike Nichols, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Meryl Streep, Stephen Colbert, Louise Erdrich, Kristi Yamaguchi, Elizabeth Alexander and Mario Batali, while the NBC one includes Lisa Kudrow (who also happens to be the show’s executive producer), Susan Sarandon, Sarah Jessica Parker, Spike Lee, Brooke Shields, Emmitt Smith and Matthew Broderick.

Though both are celebrity roots shows, their formats are quite different. Both are participatory in nature with celebrities traveling to learn about their heritage, but Faces of America will feature Dr. Gates revealing many findings with his guests (much as he did in African American Lives I & II and Oprah’s Roots), while WDYTYA — a wildly popular import from the U.K. — follows celebs on journeys of self-discovery.

As a life-long and hard-core genealogist, I see this as reason to celebrate. Anyone who’s ever dabbled in family history knows how addicting it swiftly becomes, and if WDYTYA’s success in other countries is any measure, many non-genealogists will suddenly find themselves pulled in by the undertow. So now’s the time for current and budding roots-enthusiasts to start planning their weekly soirees (two shows in the week of March 1st!) to gather with friends, down some popcorn, swap tales of DNA testing Grandpa and purposely getting locked into libraries overnight, and most of all, enjoying these long overdue shows.

Norah Jones Little Willies For The Good Times Released

Norah Jones Little Willies For The Good Times Released, NYC country folk collective The Little Willies have seen six years between the release of their debut and their latest album, For the Good Times. Still nursing a knack for twangy Americana, the group sounds more refreshed, energetic, and jazzier. With Norah Jones on keys, occasionally trading vocals with Richard Julian, the group’s breezy, swing-heavy sound is equal parts honky tonk and hopping jazz club.

Each member of The Little Willies has his or her own solid musical identity outside of the group, but together they’re a powerhouse. For the Good Times is a covers record, sampling some legendary tracks from the country cannon, including Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson, and these musicians give everything a fresh, breezy jazz tone much like that of Jones’ early work. The group’s adoration and close study of these staples occasionally alters or outstrips the power of the original, an important feat in a cover album. Their take on Loretta Lynn’s “Fist City” fails to channel the fury of the original, but takes a steadier, more lamenting approach. Lynn’s original is feisty and cute, while The Little Willies make it mournful, with just enough rhythm to keep you engaged. The title track is an endearing take on the Kristofferson original, mirroring their sweetly haunting version of “Jolene” that serves as the album’s curtain call.

Instrumental “Tommy Rockwood” is the only original track on the album, written by guitarist Jim Campilongo as the result of hours-long walks around New York City to kick his smoking habit. The distraction tactic clearly worked, as the whimsy shines in the tumbleweed, much like their idols. A well-crafted nod, For the Good Times finds the Little Willies showcasing their favorite pastime-giddily playing standards with their bandmates. Equal parts good time and fresh, original takes on these classic tracks, the band offers a medley of styles that color these standards in a new light.

Steven Tyler

Steven Tyler, Steven Tyler and former finalist Jennifer Hudson to perform on the 33rd Annual Kennedy Center Honors, which airs tonight (9 pm ET / PT, CBS). Steven is a tribute to Paul McCartney singing a medley of the Beatles, and Jennifer Hudson performs I’m here, the Oprah Winfrey-produced musical The Color Purple.

Constantine Maroulis is a father. The fourth season of American Idol finalist and Angel Reed, who met while appearing in Rock of Ages, welcomed James Malena in the world Thursday night, reports People. She weighed 6 lbs., 11 ounces, measuring 19 inches long.

Joe’s Place blog has a list containing several alleged members of spoiler this season of American Idol Top 10 40. The page also indicates that at least three of those interviewed after hearing their first Nashville made the Top 60.