Rating: 
Summary: Great singer, not so good live performer
Review: I really liked Norah Jones's CD so I purchased the DVD. During the concert Norah did not smile often, had little connection with the audience, had virtually no chit-chat or humor. In other words, the DVD lacks excitement and vitality. A review in the Star Tribune of her recent Minneapolis concert made similar comments. I chose to not purchase tickets to this concert because of the DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: Easy listening; smooth artistry; excellent show
Review: That Norah Jones has one of the most soothing voices and easy-to-listen-to song repertoires is far and away the major selling point of her music. "Live in New Orleans" delivers a nice compilation of smooth tunes in an intimate setting (House of Blues) that is likely to impress anyone who checks out this recording.I'm not sure how to classify Norah's music, but her voice is the most enchanting to come along since Sade landed in the early 1980's. Naturally, the focus of this DVD, both musically and visually, is on Norah herself, but in no way does the rest of her Very Handsome Band get left in the shadows (literally or figuratively). The camera images tend to fade in and out from close-ups of Norah's face, to a couple measures of a bass/guitar/drum lick, to Norah's hands on the keyboards, and back again. It's very simple, but not necessarily monotonous. I applaud producer/director Jim Gabour's efforts in leaving out any glitzy or contrived visual aspects: the performance is as easy to watch as it is to listen to. Save for four songs plus the encore, the musical selection (15 songs total) is entirely from the "Come Away With Me" album. I liked every track of this DVD; thus I'd rate this a very strong performance overall. As with all great live concerts, parts of many songs contained different twists or improvisations, and I loved the way Norah eased into "Don't Know Why" without everyone noticing right away. Oddly enough, I don't think we're seeing the entire show (run time is 67 minutes). You can tell this by some of the edits, but the big giveaway is after "Lonestar," when Norah remarks to the band's tour manager and backing vocalist, Daru Oda, that she'll be back on stage later in the show. Unfortunately, that's the last we see of Daru. Concerning the band, the guys stay pretty tight, even without the preponderance of interaction that is so common in jazz performances. My only criticism (a minor one) of the sound quality is that the percussion crashed a little too loudly on a couple numbers. Perhaps this had to do with the way Andrew Borger's drum kit was miked, but I'll make an allowance for the character of the venue. Still, you might have to turn down your sub-woofer a tad to avoid an occasionally boomin' bass drum. CD "extras": 1) one encore song, which could have been placed in-line with the other tunes in order to avoid having to access it by flipping through menus; 2) video of "Come Away With Me," which is well done.
Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: It's great! If you're a fan, I suggest you buy this DVD! What more can I say?
Rating:
Summary: Just the way it should be
Review: A beautiful quality DVD with a fine 4:3 ratio videotape concert production (no 16:9 pretensions here) and a superb 2 channel stereo audio track selectable from the audio menu for those of us who care more about music than the gimmick of 5:1. She is the most honest and genuine artist working today and she has a fine backing band. The music video for "come away with me" is sublime as is the video quality. For people who love real music and appreciate true HiFi sound.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I was not sure if I'd like jazz music. I'm not really into jazz. However this DVD is great. The 5.1 sound mix is terrific and the small quaint club setting really makes you feel like you are there. Norah has a very nice voice. One reviewer commented on how sweaty Norah was during the concert. I find all that perspiration makes her look really sexy.
Rating:
Summary: Approachable, comfortable performance
Review: I was surprised to read a previous reviewer's comments that this DVD didn't give us much of an idea of Nora's personality... that is exactly one of the reasons I enjoy this DVD. This DVD pleasantly presents Nora with her humble, laid-back style. I too have the John Mayer DVD and I agree it displays an artist with more humor and a quirky personality, but I think that is because that is John Mayer's personality - he's funnier and quirkier. Likewise, the Nora Jones DVD displays HER personality as a relaxed, honest and ego-free performer. I wouldn't knock Nora for not being John! Anyway, this DVD is fairly true to the album, but not totally. While Nora doesn't take many piano solos, vocally, she does take more liberties in the live performance. Also, it is interesting to see the variety of methods the drummer uses to provide rhythm for the various cuts. The concert has an intimate, friendly tone. The musicianship is fairly good and the sound and presentation production is good as well. This was a good buy for me.
Rating:
Summary: Norah Jones - Live in New Orleans
Review: After having listened to the Grammy-Award-Winning album practically daily for over a month, I decided to take a chance on the live performance from New Orleans. I found it to be an excellent decision! Ms. Jones seemed very much at home in the small venue club atmosphere and reminded me of a combination of Billie Holliday, Coco Taylor, and Etta James. Her delivery is flawless and her musicianship is peerless. This is a must have for any collection. Timeless!
Rating:
Summary: One of best music performances of the decade
Review: I enjoyed this DVD more than any music performances that I've seen in so long. Norah has so much talent and knowledge of music that it blows me away. Her shyness seems to really work in her favor as she captures this audience at the House Of Blues. She still has total control of the band without doing too much, and her music style is incredible and comforting. I highly recommend this DVD. She makes you feel right at home and the music is so good that you'll want to watch it over and over. Although she is deemed a jazz/pop artist, she does a great job on Hank Williams "Cold, Cold Heart," and can sing the blues just as well. I can't wait to see how far this 23-year old, 8 Grammy Winner takes her music career. No doubt she'll continue to soar!
Rating:
Summary: SWEETIE IS SWEATY
Review: I love this, I love her. But somebody give the poor girl a towel. It's distracting. That aside, it's really quite good. A great purchase for the money.
Rating:
Summary: Only REAL Musicians and Audiophiles Need Apply
Review: I am so glad I bought this DVD. After reading some of the reviews, I wasn't sure. It just proves that you can't trust everyone's opinions here at Amazon! If you are an audiophile, this DVD is of exceptional quality. The audio mix is stellar! The room ambiance as well as the instrumental mix are so well done. It really pulls you in and makes you feel like you are there experiencing it live. For a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix (vs. DTS) I was really surprised at how great it sounded. The vocals and instruments are in perfect proportion to one another. And unlike some other recent live recordings put out on DVD (ahem..Dixie Chicks) this recording is NOT overly bright or harsh. For the audio alone, this disc is worth the price of admission. Great demo DVD (if you have a sweet audio setup). Next if you are a true musician you will appreciate the wonderful display of talent. Norah is not just a great singer. She plays the piano with such great style and technique, always matching her vocal cues and the rest of the band. The drummer must be some awesome "studio cat" because he oozes technique as well...playing with mallets, brushes, sticks and even his hands. He was so cool to watch. Every nuance of his playing coming through and perfectly accenting the rest of the music. Skilled and tasteful musicianship. If you are into the 80's big hair and pyrotechnics rock show...and lack any real musical taste, you won't appreciate this DVD. Norah doesn't put on a "show" by jumping around or pumping up the crowd. She really doesn't even talk much. Personally, that's O.K. with me...as long as the music speaks for itself. In this case, it DOES...and how. Only REAL Musicians and Audiophiles Need Apply.
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