Norah Jones feels no pressure

To many outside observers, the night of Feb. 23, 2003, should have been the moment of a lifetime for Norah Jones.

Norah Jones will be at Conseco Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Nov. 3, 8 p.m.. Tickets are $28.50-$58 and available by calling Ticketmaster at 239-5151

That was the night of the Grammys, an evening in which Jones walked away with five of the coveted awards, while her debut CD, Come Away With Me, collected three more Grammys for people who were involved in the project, including songwriter Jesse Harris (for “Don’t Know Why”) and producer Arif Mardin.

But amidst the feelings of joy and gratification came a notable amount of uncertainty for Jones.

“I actually was worried,” Jones said of her Grammy haul. “I had a feeling of dread at the end of the night, to be honest, because of all the knives that come out when people become very successful, and all the criticism. I don’t really have the stomach for that kind of success. I don’t have the stomach for that kind of windfall from it.”

As that quote suggests, Jones, who grew up in Dallas before moving to New York City, where she honed her singing and piano skills playing in clubs and restaurants, doesn’t seem interested in fame. In talking with Jones, 25, and reading various interviews where she has reflected on her success, Jones sounds as if she could do without television appearances, interviews and photo shoots that raise an artist’s profile. She seems reticent to talk about her family (she is the daughter of Indian music star Ravi Shankar, but was raised by her mother) or her four-year relationship with her bassist, Lee Alexander.

Her greatest concern, she said, is that success will infringe on her artistic life.
“Probably my biggest fear is that it will stop me from being creative in the way that I was creative before I even thought about having success, before I even wanted success,” she said.