Jones brings humility to The Joint

Spencer Patterson

Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2003 | 8:13 a.m.

Pop princesses don't come onstage early to introduce their opening acts. And divas definitely don't blush.

Norah Jones did both Monday night at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel, and that might help explain why a significant chunk of the American public is infatuated with the 24-year-old vocalist.

To put it simply, she seems like a normal person.

Jones wore jeans and a plain button-up blouse as she nervously chatted with fans as if she were the new girl at school looking to make friends.

Such unpretentiousness is amazing when you consider that Jones' father is sitar legend Ravi Shankar, or that she has achieved more success in a few months than most musicians accomplish in a lifetime.

Her jazzy debut album, last year's "Come Away With Me," has sold more than 7 million copies. Last week it charted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200, 76 weeks after its release.

In February, Jones received industry recognition to go with that popular acclaim. She unexpectedly dominated the Grammys, collecting five trophies herself and helping writers, producers and engineers take home three others.

Yet there she was Monday night, giggling uncomfortably at the calls of "I love you, Norah" coming from the far regions of the sold-out concert hall.

Throughout Jones' 90-minute performance, the crowd of 1,800 hung on every lyric, respectfully staying silent during quieter songs and showering the New York City native and her five-piece backing band with applause between numbers.

Fans also reacted with short bursts of clapping upon recognizing each selection from "Come Away With Me," wildly greeting not just hit singles "Don't Know Why" and the title track, but also such album cuts as "Painter Song" and "Lonestar."

Mostly, the well-dressed audience cheered Jones' entrancing vocals, as charming in the love setting as they are on the disc. And that's no easy feat on the 54th and final night of a long tour.

Sultry yet understated, Jones peppered her songs with emotion by way of subtle changes in inflection. She changed octaves only when the music called for it, never opting for showy vocal gymnastics and never coming close to fully cutting loose.

Not surprisingly, Jones' piano work lagged behind her singing. She pecked away at the keys rather tentatively much of the night, overpowered and overshadowed by the skillful musicians joining her onstage.

Some of them, including bassist and boyfriend Lee Alexander and guitarist Adam Levy, have also contributed songs to Jones' growing catalog. She took a moment during the show to acknowledge the absent Jesse Harris, a primary songwriter for "Come Away With Me."

The band shined most during a short acoustic segment that morphed from a folky singalong between Jones and her opening act -- singer/guitarist Richard Julian -- into a stompin' good time with bluegrass number "Creepin' In."

Jones also made some wise decisions with her covers, fishing out everything from Gram Parsons' country-rock ballad "She" to AC/DC's Bon Scott-era classic "Ride On."

Tracks from "Come Away With Me" generally sounded similar to their album versions, which suited the crowd just fine. "Feelin' the Same Way" and "One Flight Down" were particular highlights, with Jones sliding over to an electric piano to snazz up both tunes a bit.

Most important, Jones offered proof that her debut success was no fluke, in the form of strong new material. Most promising was "In the Morning," an upbeat number that put the evening's romantic mood on pause during an extended instrumental jam.

Whether it was a glimpse at a possible new direction for Jones, or merely some final-night fun for the band, wasn't clear. It was quite apparent, however, that wherever the unassuming superstar goes next, she'll have a horde of eager supporters ready to come away with her again.