EMI
The first clue is the title — considering the word “featuring” appears prominently you’re right in wondering how much you’ll hear of Norah Jones herself on this album. Granted her excellent vocals have appeared in everything from Dolly Parton tunes to hip hop and jazz but quite frankly you’ll really have to strain to hear her singing on this collection.
Initially I had hoped that Featuring would be full of true duets. Unfortunately it only has a handful: “Love Me” with the Little Willies “Baby it’s Cold Outside” with Willie Nelson “Bull Rider” with Sasha Dobson and “Creepin’ In” with Dolly Parton are the strongest examples. Still this offering showcases Jones’s comfort with a wide array of genres like the smooth bossa nova sound she tackles with the Foo Fighters or the hip hop take on “Life is Better” with Q-Tip. But much is the disc is weighted towards her country western tracks and there’s still no clear thread of what it hopes to achieve. Stong offerings such as the brilliant Herbie Hancock track “Court and Spark” and “Take Off Your Cool” with Outkast are too few and too far apart. That Jones’s talent spans genres is evident; however too few of them are featured in Featuring.
