We didn't exactly have front row seats and no real cameras were allowed in the arena, but this is what the stage looked like on the screen of my cell phone. Norah Jones' voice is as comfortable and mature live as it is on her albums. This powerful vocal ease made her painfully shy stage presence that much more disconcerting. In French, we would say that she seemed mal dans sa peau, uncomfortable in her skin. She actually hid behind the upright bass on several occasions. This also made her very human, life like, which I do like. Norah Jones and her Handsome Band are all about the music, very refreshing. Plus, she hangs out with Grover and Cookie Monster, which is a sure sign that she is very cool.
Her discretion shines a spotlight on the extraordinarily talented "Handsome Band." Guitarists Adam Levy and Robbie McIntosh express themselves freely. Levy's presence and girth dominate the stage and, I would say, his solos alone make it worth the ticket price. My favorite song of the set was The Long Way Home, written by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan. My biggest disappointment was the fact that they didn't play Humble me... probably because guitarist Kevin Breit stayed home with his three kids instead of touring the world with the handsome band. Values I can respect!
These are my friends Paul and Jean-Claude who made possible a very fun evening in Geneva. Merci les gars. Teddy Bear! Ooooh!
