NORAH ROCKED
Norah Jones, under the stars, at the Santa Barbara Bowl was a kind of celestial event of its own.
She is an extraordinary singer, with a unique blend of power, earthiness, mellow soul and plaintive phrasing. On this tour she is backed by a band of exquisite players who can easily slide from driving rock, bluesy funk and beyond. There were moments when the band wandered into a kind of exploratory atmosphere of high energy improvisation, where Norah's rich voice was the grounding and tether that made it work. It was, to my amateur ears, contrapuntal. This is a different Norah than some of her earlier, softer work, but it is thrilling and superb.
Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons who opened were a special treat with a country and folk lilt. He's a great lyricist and I hope we see and hear more from him.
A quick observation-too many people seem increasingly self absorbed and rude. There were entirely too many people texting during the concert and too many of the crowd from the upfront and center seats thought nothing of entering, after Norah had begun. Rude behavior on both counts!
The drive down the coast and back was vacation land beautiful and stunning.
DAY FILE
PLUM CRAZY
See you down the trail.
