[captioning made possible by kcet public television] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- tavis: tonight, a conversation with one of popular music's biggest stars, nora johnans. she is on tour. on october 2, she will be on hand in milwaukee with many others for the 25th anniversary of farm aid. we are glad you joined us. >> all i know is his name is james and he needs extra help with his reading. >> i am james. >> yes. >> to everyone making a

difference, you help us live better. >> with every question and every answer, nationwide is proud to join tapis in working to remove obstacles to empowerment one obstacle at a time. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from the words like you. thank you. -- from viewers like you. ed thank you -- thank you. >> i am pleased to welcome norah jones to this program. she is on tour in support of her most recent cd. you can pick up a copy of her next project, a copy of many collective collaborations, and on october 2, she will be in

milwaukee with an all-star lineup to celebrate the 25th anniversary of farmaid. before we get to that, here is the video from the song, "chasing pirates." >> ♪ and i do not know how to slow it down ♪ ♪ my mind is racing and ♪ i am chasing pirates ♪ my mind is racing, i am chasing pirates ♪ ♪ my mind is racing, i am chasing pirates ♪ >> we were chatting about

tamoxifen time vs. real time. i raised -- about fan time versus real time. i raise it because i asked how she feels about her hair short, and she said -- >> it has been short for three years. people say, you cut your hair. a long time ago. >> in between projects. people do not see you every day. nice haircut. >> sometimes i would run into people, and they would not recognize me. >> is that a good thing or a bad thing? >> when it is your friends, it is not a good thing. >> some artists are sir known by their look that i would think in today's -- are so known by their look, that i would think if you change it you risk not being recognized. >> i prefer that. i really like having anonymity. cutting my hair was a good thing for a while.

>> help me juxtapose the thing about liking anonymity with a record that tells all your business. those are not working for me. make the square. >> it kind of does, and it kind of does not. there is some fake business in there. you get to embellish here and there. tavis: it is true. you can hear that you're opening up and talking about personal experiences. was that easy to do? did it come easily? >> it came easily because it was natural. it kind of happened over a few years, and songwriting is something i have thought about a lot over the years, and i have a lot of friends who were great songwriters, but everyone has a

different process. some people for their guts out like a diary. some people are really crafty, and they get into your the sentences, and sometimes it is great, and sometimes it is not as soulful as pouring your heart out, and sometimes when you for your heart out, it is annoying, so i spend a lot of time doing different ways. >> have you spent time figuring out what nora jones style is? >> i think i am in the process of figuring it out so will not be doing the same thing all the time. songwriting is fun, and i feel more comfortable than i did in the beginning. >> is it something you really enjoy doing? that is the notion of finding a different way to do what you do, because when you come out and when a string of grammys and everyone immediately falls in love with norah jones, i would

assume there is an expectation your fan base has, and you have to juxtapose who you are with what they want you to be. how do you do that? >> there are always going to be people who want you to do the same thing, and there are always going to be people who are excited to see you change. you are not going to please everybody, so you have to do what you want to do. if i wanted to make the same record, i could, but i do not want to. it is exciting to see if wants to come and who does not care for it. i have had people say, i am still getting used to the new sound, but it is ok. thanks, good to see you again. i have people who say, i really like your new stuff. ok, you did not like my old self. it is obvious there is a mix of

the vote. >> our producer told us he was there, and his assessment was that of many people and audience, that you are playing the guitar a lot more in your performances offensive thing of the piano. tell me about that. >> i started playing guitar more seriously five or six years ago, and i really write more on guitar than piano, and i always have. it is simpler. it is marketing to the chase of the song instead of giving fancy with cordis region co -- with cords. i really enjoyed facing the audience. with the piano, my back is always to somebody. i love to play. it is really nice to have part of the show were i in front and center and looking at people, which i never have been. >> houses if -- this is not your

preferred instrument in terms of skill level. you are better at the piano, yet you found a comfort level playing this in front of thousands of people. obviously, you have gotten better. >> blind brashness. i have a good friend who is in my band, and we started playing together. we are both singers, and she had not played an instrument at all, so she booked of pooled it -- a pool hall. i played lead guitar. not only was are playing guitar greater i was soloing. i could barely play. no one was listening. it was cool. it was like a bar gave -- gig. it is not like i just stepped out on stage in front of a lot of people. i have a lot of schools all moments i got to mess up.

tavis: how is it you write most of your songs on an instrument you do not play as well. i would assume since you applied the and all the time that you write on piano. how is it you write on guitar and not a piano? >> it is simple. i feel more like i need to fill the space with some vocals when i play guitar. when i played piano it is fun to just play piano. i write a lot in my head. you can hear music a certain way. if i cannot play the accord on guitar, i will move to the piano. i am not saying it does not happen. >> you started playing piano how old? >> 73 reagan -- 7. >> you are getting better at playing the guitar. are you getting better at pm of,

or have you mastered it? >> i do not know if i am getting better, because they do not practice it anymore, but i feel comfortable in my instrument. i think it would be fun to go through a piano phase. hopefully, that will happen, but it is phases. you go through phases, and you do not know what will happen next. >> you mentioned that you have to change ben's -- changed bands. how does that impact the sound? >> greatly. part of what i wanted to do was get different sounds very good i wanted more electric guitarists. i wanted to use keyboards, which i have never done. once i got the new band together, it is different.

some of old songs sound different, and the new songs have a much different vibe, but i am still me, and i am not trying to be somebody i am not. it is not like i am all of a sudden during something crazy. i am not playing -- all of a sudden doing something crazy. i am not playing thrash metal. it is different, but i have a great band, and they are versus style. >> -- they are versus of reversible -- versatile. tavis: smokey robinson was on this show not long ago, and i said to him, child of his cover of your song. it occurs to me to ask what it feels like to have one of the

greatest musicians cover one of your tunes. >> that is not my song. that is jesse harris's song. i still felt proud, and my friend jesse was very flattered. he has to like the delivery of the song. it is cool. >> did you have any idea? you are shaking your head. >> i did not even know i was going to get a record deal. it is a jazz label. jesse and i had been in a van together where i was singing his songs. it is my first time trying something that was not just traditional jazz. we were experimenting. we knew it was a good track. it was all live, and it felt good and natural, but we have no

idea it was going to be such a big song. >> here is a crazy question. i wonder whether or not you think it is better for you -- talking about the long view of your career -- to have started with such fire and to have to keep that up, or like other artists -- some people start slow and then build, and you came out guns blazing. not that you have any choice, but do you have thoughts about that? >> there are good things and bad things about both ways of doing it. people can do the same thing and have different outcomes. i think have to keep doing it the way i am doing it and hope it is working. there is a lot of pressure of

first and confusion, because even though i was very proud of the first record, i was still just figuring it out, but you're always going to be figuring it out. i am happy with my pasth. tavis: how do you go about deciding the playlist for your shows? >> it has a lot to do with a lot of instruments witches and the flow of not having too much time between songs, but we start out with a lot of new material. i when three different places on the stage. i try to not move around every song, but we have a country thing we do. i cannot get the country out of my music.

a precedent the table, and there are those songs. >> we have talked about country and jazz. i have not had to go to the store to our chalet by this. if i went to the record store common and do you have any idea -- if i went to the record store, and you have any idea where they are putting your records chairman -- your records? >> they close the record store. i have seen all the time who said, i loved jazz because of you. that is cool, but check out billie holiday. that is real jazz. i do not know what i do. i would not call it jazz. i would not call it a lot of things. >> are you bothered by the idea that they would put you in the record store as opposed to a separate category? >> categorizing stuff is not

that important, but it is the way it is. i have heard people call me a song writer or just a jazz singer or a fall crop country singer. i do not know. -- awful clorox -- a folk rock country singer. tavis: i was saying to our staff that it hit me when i read intro to this conversation that you have sold 40 million records. that is a mind-boggling number. that is a lot of records, and you made the point a moment ago that in new york, they are closing down record stores like nobody's business. it has changed dramatically how you put a record out there. your thoughts on how the

business is changing? >> it is tough. i feel lucky i got in under the wire where i could still sell records. i do not have to hit dozen -- hit the pavement all the time. it is a weird business. i completely do not understand is sometimes, but you have to go with it. there are all kinds of internet stuff you have to do, but it is fine. it is a different world. tavis: a wonder if you are at this place where they get to a point where they want to sell records, but you get to a point where the sales are not the end all be oall, and if there are sales, it is cool, but they do not feel burdened by selling 1 million copies very good >> i felt that way as soon as my

records sold a bunch of copies. my second record did not do nearly as good, but it still did very well. >> how did you navigate through that? >> i had to remind myself it was still doing pretty well, considering. i knew from the beginning i would probably never do anything that would be quite as successful and to not let it get me down. >> how do you navigate your way forward as an artist when you have to wrestle with the stuff that, it may never do as well. >> you have to love what you do and believe in what you do. otherwise, you will end of doing stuff that is not what you want to do. i think the key is to keep with what you like.

it might change, but it will not be for the wrong reason. it will be -- because you want to do it. >> how are you treated in other countries versus our country? >> it has been great. i never thought i would be able to tour in the philippines, but we paved the region we played a tor in manila. -- and we played a tour in manila. it depends on the venue. >> when you came out, and i am not going to mention his name -- but when you came out, you were introduced was his daughter, and now people just know you as norah jones. i assume you are cool with that.

>> my father and i are very close. we have a unique history. when i first came out, it did not make sense for me to be known as somebody's daughter. he is amazing, but it was weird a first. it was confusing. do i go with that? nobody wants to hear my personal business. they do, but i do not want to tell it. tavis: we do. but is what myspace is all about. >> people are always looking for an angle or a story, and that was interesting, but that is not my whole story. it is tough when you get headlined as something that is not necessarily everything you are, but of the same time, it

does not matter. it is a headline. people get to know you anyway. >> what is with the dogs? they are nice dogs. >> it was his idea to shoot with all the dogs. i thought it was a good idea. i had a song that was about a dog. it kind of tied it all in, and i thought it was funny. >> is not me. it is a dog. the new project is called "the fall." in november, i cannot wait for the troubled region the collaboration's project. -- i cannot wait for the collaboration project. it is very random. >> it is very random, and it is all people i love and respect.

the label had an idea to put it together in a compilation album. i was surprised, but they all fit together. >> "the fall" is out now. october 2, i will see you. up next, a special performance from nora jones. "man of the hour." from her most recent cd, here is norah jones. the night from los angeles, and keep the faith. >> ♪ i cannot choose between of the yen and a pot head -- a vegan and a pot head, so i chose you because you are sweet ♪

♪ and you give me lots of loving and you eat meat ♪ ♪ and that's how you became my only man of the hour ♪ ♪ you have never lied, and you do not cheat ♪ ♪ you do not have any baggage tied to your feet ♪ ♪ do i deserve to be the one who will feed you breakfast, lunch, and dinner ♪ ♪ will you believe they -- really be my only man of the hour?

♪ i know you will never bring me flowers ♪ ♪ flowers, they will only die ♪ ♪ and though we will never take a shower together, i know you will never make me cry ♪ ♪ you never are dear -- ar gue, don't even talk, and i liked the way we go outside and walk ♪ ♪ will you be my only man of the hour ♪ ♪ my only man of the hour

♪ my only man of the hour [applause] pbs.org. >> join us now for a novelist. we will see you then. >> all i know is his name is james and he needs extra help with his reading. >> i am james. >> yes. >> you help us live better. >> nationwide supports tavis

smiley. nationwide is proud to join in working to fight for literacy. nationwide is on your side. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you.