NORAH JONES And Her Handsome Band
- Live in 2004

I think by now Ms. Jones has more DVDs out than albums. The medium has truly become an integral part of the music industry especially when it comes to fans who can't afford to travel abroad to see their favourite artists performing live or whose geographic location makes a tour to those parts unlikely if not impossible. The 17-song disc opens with an empty rehearsal hall area version of What Am I To Do?, the same location later on used for The Prettiest Thing. The show starts with a fan favourite, Sunrise and flows through the likes of In The Morning, Tom Waits' The Long Way Home, Humble Me, Don't Miss You At All, Don't Know Why, Moon Song (which didn't make it onto her last album), Loretta and The Band's Life Is A Carnival. So, it's not a carbon copy of the first DVD. I do like the fact that Jones is not precious about her image, not claiming everything to be her creative genius, but always acknowledging her band members' songs. Guest artists include the evergreen Dolly Parton as well as Gillian Welch, David Rawlings, Richard Julian and Kevin Breit. The songs cover all their best-known cuts and a few extras. Additional bonus footage includes Gram Parsons' She, an alternate version of Creepin' In without Dolly, and footage from New Orleans in 2002. For those who flip at Come Away With Me's omission in the main show, you get it with the extras. Nice to see they try not to be too obvious at their shows. Two music videos are included: Those Sweet Words and What Am I To Do? Three mini-documentaries include a bit on how the Handsome Band got together (but not where they got their name, as they're not the hottest bunch of guys - with the exception of female backing vocalist Daru). There's a behind the scenes on the tour bus piece and a look at the two guitarists' instrument collections. No stage diving here, just a soothing blend of jazzy-country-bluesy tunes delivered in a subdued, heartfelt manner.

4 / B
- PB

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