Norah Jones has recently challenged the notion that jazz artists don’t sell big. Come Away With Me, the singer/pianist’s debut album on Blue Note, has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.
The album, released on Feb. 26, 2002, peaked at 17 on Billboard‘s top 200 chart and currently holds the number 26 position. Featuring a mix of Jones originals and covers of classics like as Hoagy Carmichael’s “The Nearness of You” and Hank Williams’ “Cold, Cold Heart,” the album crosses stylistic boundaries. The inclusion of country and pop sensibilities on Come Away With Me brings into question the idea of whether the album should actually be considered a jazz release, and maybe it shouldn’t be. But the record is on Blue Note, as storied a jazz label as there ever was, and Jones’ music does get downright jazzy at times. So we’ll call it jazz for now.
