That Norah Jones has a good voice, knows, in the meantime, everyone, so let’s talk first of all about the drums sound. In classic Jazz, one thinks, for example, of Art Blakey or Max Roach, is the Snare Drum often lives up to its name, the, you schnarrt. This is due to the so-called Snare carpet is stretched with his Snares under the snare side head: the loser, the trumpet of. In the newer Jazz the Snare is tensioned carpet also times tight, the drum up even with a cloth damp, which leads to an extremely dry sound with no reverb: no more schnarrend, but precise, razor-sharp.
Jan Wiele
editor in the features section.
F. A. Z.
it is Similar with the Hi-hat pair cymbal: While it sizzelte in the Swing-Jazz and Bebop for a long time “” before it zuschnappte, or even open was played, what the characteristic of the “ts, ts, ts, ts driving”sound, a many drummer this effect today, much more economical. The connotation of the “cool” sound has changed, not only in Jazz, but often, it is in the ears of the listener – but if today something cool, then it is probably of extremely dry Snare sound, which, together with closed-hinged Hi-and a funky double bass, the jazz trio of new possibilities opens up. Think of Esbjörn Svensson Trio or the Michael Wollny.
Sonic Understatement
What now has to do all of this with Norah Jones? On your new Album “Pick Me Up Off the Floor” forming you as a pianist together with bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade in places, a jazz trio that plays in exactly this manner: with the sound appearing to be a understated, but still with the sharpness. The very dry Snare sound in “Flame Twin” shapes the Reclined, this piece, which is then of Norah Jones’ sumptuously delayed vocals reinforced; and the same Simplicity of the drums Sounds a nervous irritability, the fits to the subject, in the case of erratic-acting Breakbeat approaches, the song “It Hurts to Be Alone”. “Can you make me disappear / At least for once or twice a year”, she sings here, questioningly, timidly. And also the ballad “Heartbroken, Day After”, whose title says it all, only on the thinnest drums scaffold, while the piano rolled Blues, and the voice of the singer seems to make the pain as well as the Intonation of Billie Holidays ‘ control. A peculiar mixture of jazz tradition and contemporary music is created styles, with the help of Norah Jones often played.
As you have presented here is a collection of various collaborations, there are also a lot of other music. In the case of “I’m Alive” is about Jeff Tweedy, lead singer of the rock band Wilco and has co-written, played and produced. He gives Jones a slight Country-Touch. Despite the heterogeneity, the Album is held together by the title theme: The desire to “Pick Me Up Off the Floor” has references in several songs could be directed at a lover, but also to God or to the mystery flame twin stick. “My twin in flames / lift me off the ground”, sings the woman, which is staged on the album cover like a lying on the ground puppet. But who is pulling the strings?
