Those how have followed her music, know her style, her target audience and her jazz influences felt on most of her work down her 14 year career. This new album, her sixth that consists of 12-track set, features nine original songs and three covers that take you back to her roots.

Jones makes a jazz record with the help of the iconic saxophonist Wayne Shorter, drummer Brian Blade, and bassist John Patitucci and organist Dr. Lonnie Smith. The covers that appear in between original work include Horace Silver’s Peace, Duke Ellington’s Fleurette Africaine and Neil Young’s Don’t Be Denied. She sounds empowered on Horace Silver’s Peace, hitting on the title of the song “Life’s true meaning comes to you/ And the freedom you seek is one/ Peace is for everyone.”

Picking up the singles here, we go for the opener where Wayne Shorter appears on Burn, his soprano saxophone the perfect accompanist to Jones’ velvety lead. On Tragedy, we see the slow and numb side of the singer as she harps on just one word. Flipside, a song about racial and civic injustice, sees Jones pick the pace spending most of its time on rippling piano and a repetitious swinging groove. The lyrics that dwell on freedom call out….. If we’re all free, then why does it seem we can’t just be?”to running up to words like “Your temperature’s well past a hundred and two/ Put the guns away, or we’ll all gonna lose…”.

Back to the crawl, you have the joyous swinging It’s a wonderful time for Love, followed by And Then there was You. The mid tempo title track is mellow and gels well with the other tracks even though it fits midway into the set. The bluesy Once I Had a Laugh has a more edgy sound reminiscent of her earlier piano pieces. Jones seems to be enjoying herself on the piano in a variety of ways, sometimes in a crawl, to a slow jam, to keep up the pace of the album. The track is minus of any great lyrics, but Jones’ luscious voice seems to enjoy telling you when we used to have a good time and now that we are getting older.

Sleeping Wild is full jazz play with Jones’ voice and her piano doing a great job. Carry on with a sweet melody, focuses on leaving the past as the past and carrying on.

With almost all lyrics written by Jones, expect some great compositions from the young lady who never fails to make an album to remember. Jones has fallen back in love with her piano and it permeates every note. Add to this is the jazz influenced arrangements and sublime musicianship of her band with some accomplished musicians and what you get is a production that is faultless. Put this on a good sound system and I can guarantee you that you might get the impression you are sitting a few feet away from the musicians. While Day Breaks sees Norah Jones return to familiar territory, it is still a beautiful album which, at times, is sure to give you chills.

Rating: ****

Reviewed by Verus Ferreira