Award-Winning Singer, Norah Jones essays

Award-Winning Singer, Norah Jones essays I find it remarkable that Norah Jones, a piano-playing, female, jazz musician, with soft, romantic, feel-good lyrics, could, in this day and age, rack up 5 Grammys, including best album of the year, record of the year and song of the year. No one thought that sweet Norah would be able to compete with the 4 million plus album sales attributed in 2002 to big-timers such as Nelly, Avril Lavigne, and Eminem. Well, think again! She's sold over 6 million albums worldwide for her debut Come Away With Me. At a time when the recording industry is in turmoil, to sell 6 million albums is almost unfeasible, especially for a new and emerging artist. So, who is this fresh, new, jazz musician, anyway? The 23 year-old Norah Jones was born on March 30, 1979 in New York City. When she was just 4 years old she moved with her mom to Grapevine, TX, a suburb of Dallas. She began her singing in church choirs at the age of 5. Two years later Norah began her ultimate success – the piano. Norah, at the age of 15, moved to Dallas's inner city where she started Booker T. Washington High School for Performing and Visual Arts. Her first gig was at the young age of 16, at an open-mic coffeehouse. In 1996, still during her high school years, Norah won the Down Beat Student Music Award for best jazz vocalist and best original composition. In 1997, yet once more, she still won the SMA for best jazz vocalist. During her time in high school, she, as well, played for the band Laszlo, performing what she describes as "dark, jazzy, rock." Norah went onto the University of North Texas, nationally acclaimed for its phenomenal music program, where she majored in jazz piano. In 1999, she moved back to New York where she appeared constantly with the band Wax Poetic, which are now signed to the Atlantic label. But, Norah was determined to have her own group. A couple months later her dream was born with band members Lee Alexander (Bassist), Dan Reiser (drummer), Jesse ...