Volume I No. 56
 02-25-03
 Norah Jones: Borrowing Something Old, 
 and Delivering Something New
 author: Vance Cureton
 © Copyright 2003

 A wonderful thing happened Sunday night. At the prestigious
 Grammy awards ceremony, eight trophies were awarded to an 
 attractive young woman. Norah Jones. The new face of American
 popular music. Her remarkable commercial success is based upon 
 a musical style first popularized by American blacks, many, many 
 decades ago.

 No - where not talking about some tatooed and pierced, blonde 
 bombshell with a naked midsection. Or some angry white kid 
 with a vulgar mouth. A musical talent who obviously thinks 
 "acting black" or "being authentic" is to compose belligerent
 rhymes, and rant about raping your mother.

 Norah Jones is none of that. She's an attractive young songstress
 who dresses nicely and would be exactly the kind of young 
 lady to bring home to meet the family. Every time Norah Jones 
 steps on stage to sing, she does homage to the late jazz stars 
 of days gone by. 

 -- This is not to say she has that kind of talent. Not yet anyway. 
 But Norah Jones is no Kenny G. She's a much more risk-taking
 and original artist, than he is.

 Can Norah Jones' sudden recognition be a harbinger of good 
 things to come? A decade ago another young songstress 
 incorporated a "jazzy sound" into her music. Her name was 
 Anita Baker. -- She gained sudden fame. But her 15 minutes
 are far behind her.

 But Anita wasn't the only one. Regina Belle, Didi Bridgewater,
 and the late Phylis Hyman all borrowed from the past. And 
 there were still more who tried to return this sultry music 
 to prominence.

 Athough most of the above named artists achieved a
 measure of commerical success. They spectacularly failed 
 to influence the direction of popular youth music.

 The crassness, misogyny, and vulgarity that is rap has all 
 but invaded the entire music scene. R&B, Pop, Country, 
 and Easy-Listening are all are poor step-children to the 
 popularity of rap and hip-hop amongst impressionable 
 young teens from every corner of America.

 It is impossible to even sit down to an evening of television 
 without being bombarded with commercials featuring the
 stereotypical scowling urban youth, with their cold stares 
 and malignant smiles. -- Or clueless young white wannabe's 
 who think the only way to be accepted is to imitate the most 
 dysfunctional elements of society.

 In other words, drug dealers, mafiosos, and wealthy athletes 
 who have neither an education or morals. And yellow sheets 
 that many a wiseguy would be proud to brag on.

 An entire generation of American youth have come of age
 without having the slightest idea of what "good music" is 
 all about. It's not about bad rhymes. It's not about showing 
 the world how angry you are. -- And it is certainly not about 
 raping your mother. Or b#$%tch slapping your girlfriend.

 Good music is about melody and style. And the turning of a 
 phrase. The simplest lyrics can also be the most effective.

 And finally. A singer should actually have the ability to sing. 
 Their voice should be a gift.

 What a revelation!

 Perhaps Norah Jones' Grammy night is a significant indicator
 that there is a new market out there for an old kind of music. 
 That people of all ages and backgrounds want to sit down 
 and enjoy a simple melody, fronted by a trained and talented 
 voice. That it is okay to sing about love and hope and 
 disappointment. - Without mentioning killing somebody
 in the same song. And that music doesn't always have to 
 be about anger and attitude, and "representing" or "keeping 
 it real."

 Perhaps there are young black, yellow, brown, white, or 
 red kids out there - only ages four or five right now - who 
 will rediscover the uplifting music of "The Temptations," 
 "Smokey Robinson and The Miracles," and "The Four Tops." 
 Or "The Beach Boys" and  "America."  Perhaps they can 
 reprise the ritual when a group of youths gathered on the 
 street corners, late Friday and Saturday nights to sing, 
 instead of to trade vicious insults and bullets. 

 Bring back those old street corner harmonies!

 No - The 1960's will never return. But maybe the attitude
 in the music can change. Afterall, we could use a lot of 
 sixties kind of love in the world right now.

 DooWop with it's elegant style and impressive harmonies 
 is another unique American music form that has all but 
 been forgotten. Our country has such a rich musical heritage. 
 A legacy of the highest quality for today's young people 
 to borrow from and appreciate. If only they would.

 Yet no matter how bleak the musical landscape seems at
 the moment. Eventually the day will come when the angry, 
 attitude-filled music that has become the norm. Will be 
 rejected as old, out-dated, and irrelevant. 

 One can only hope that day is not very far away, at all.
 

 ReadingPost.Com
 © Copyright 2003

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