Norah Jones Vinyl Records
When Norah Jones arrived in the early 2000s, it appeared as if she was the torchbearer for two traditions on the verge of disappearing: sophisticated vocal jazz designed for small, smoky clubs and the warm, burnished sound of the Southern California singer/songwriters of the early '70s. Come Away with Me, her 2002 debut -- conspicuously released on the revived Blue Note imprint -- hit this sweet spot and resonated with millions of listeners, turning Jones into an unexpected star. Instead of cultivating this niche, she soon proved to be quietly adventurous, which perhaps shouldn't have been a surprise for a musician trained in piano and ensconced in New York City's jazz clubs. As the 2000s gave way to the 2010s and 2020s, she incorporated daringly modern musical elements into her albums, which increasingly veered toward adult alternative pop, all the while spending time with side projects where she sang country, punk, and jazz, an indication of her expansive taste and skill, qualities that didn't diminish as her career progressed.