Norah Jones at the Monterey Jazz Festival in Monterey, California, on Sep. 23, 2018 (Image: AFP/Eva Hambach via AFP Relaxnews)
The American singer-songwriter revealed that her seventh studio album, “Pick Me Up off the Floor,” will arrive on May 8 via Blue Note Records.
Jones is now previewing the much-anticipated follow-up to 2019’s “Begin Again” with a new collaboration with Jeff Tweedy.
The Wilco frontman notably co-wrote and produced the jazzy song, on which he also plays acoustic guitar, electric guitar and bass.
His son and frequent collaborator, Spencer Tweedy, also contributed to “I’m Alive” by playing brushed drums.
This is not the first time that Jones collaborates with Tweedy, as the musicians previously co-wrote and produced “A Song with No Name” and “Wintertime” for her sixth studio opus, “Begin Again.”
“Norah’s been a great friend for a long time and she’s one of the most effortless musicians I’ve ever played with,” Tweedy recently told Rolling Stone.
In addition to the Wilco leader, “Pick Me Up off the Floor” will feature contributions from bassists Christopher Thomas, John Patitucci, Jesse Murphy and Josh Lattanzi; drummers Nate Smith, Dan Rieser and Josh Adams; keyboardist Pete Remm, as well as pedal steel guitarist Dan Iead.
Violinist Mazz Swift, violist Ayane Kozasa, cellist Paul Wiancko, percussionist Mauro Refosco, background vocalists Ruby Amanfu and Sam Ashworth, trumpeter Dave Guy and tenor saxophonist Leon Michels are also featured in the forthcoming album.
Jones recently opened up about the inspiration behind “Pick Me Up off the Floor,” explaining in a statement that she has felt more creative than ever in recent months.
“Living in this country—this world—the last few years, I think there’s an underlying sense of, ‘Lift me up. Let’s get up out of this mess and try to figure some things out.’ If there’s a darkness to this album, it’s not meant to be an impending sense of doom, it feels more like a human longing for connection. Some of the songs that are personal also apply to the larger issues we’re all facing. And some of the songs that are about very specific larger things also feel quite personal,” she added.
In addition to releasing “I’m Alive,” Jones announced that she will soon embark on a North American tour, with performances at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on April 26 and the Newport Jazz Festival on Aug. 7.
She will be accompanied on the road by blues legend Mavis Staples, with whom she dueted on the 2019 single “I’ll Be Gone.” CL /ra
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