Norah Jones enchants at CMAC with sincere, sultry soul (review)

Many concert performers expect a certain level of exertion from their audiences, whether it be endless cheering between songs, or demands for the crowd to get up and dance.

Grammy-winning jazz singer Norah Jones does none of that. She brought her enchanting vocals and lush piano melodies to CMAC in Canandaigua on July 5 and her only requirement was for fans to listen and enjoy.

On this steamy July evening, the crowd was happy to bask in her cool calmness.

Jones has never been a flashy performer. She walked onstage at 8:48 p.m. with zero pomp or circumstance, smiled, waved and sat down at her white grand piano to launch into her early hit “What Am I to You?”

Best known for her 2002 debut album, “Come Away with Me,” selling more than 27 million copies and winning five Grammys, Jones gained mainstream success as a jazz singer and pianist, but her smoky, smooth sound melts across genres.

She slips from R&B, to pop, to country easily (look up her duets with Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson if you’re unfamiliar). She masterfully smudges the piano melodies from her sophomore album “Feels Like Home” (2004).

Seated next to a mom and her daughter (this show was a Mother’s Day gift for them), they remarked how Jones’s voice sounds as sultry and sincere as it does on her studio albums. Better even, with Jones improvising playfully on the keys, puzzling her way from ethereal lullabies to cunning, dark strains reminiscent of a Bond film.

Longtime fans cheered loudly for early hits like “Sunrise,” but the set largely emphasized her new material. Keys player Sami Stevens and guitarist Sasha Dobson lent soaring background vocals to complement Jones’s lower notes for radiant harmonies on “Paradise,” fresh off her new album “Visions,” released in March.

Jones joked lightly with the audience about Canandaigua’s name (“Cannon-day-GWAAH, did I get that right?”), but mostly kept onstage chatter to a minimum. Every time audience members yelled out “I love you, Norah!” between songs (often), Jones answered with a cheeky smile and “I love you too.”

Mavis Staples opened the show at 7:30 p.m., as a deluge of rain soaked the lawn crowd early in the night, before the weather mellowed out for a soft, hazy humidity.

Few octogenarian performers seem as happy to be onstage as Staples, who turns 85 next week. She got the crowd clapping on “Respect Yourself” and rolled her tongue with relish on “You Are Not Alone.” Occasionally, she sat down and sipped a beverage for a couple of tunes, allowing her backing vocalists to shine, then returned for a rollicking scat.

Staples displayed energy that was, at times, delightfully startling. Her powerful, signature growls rang out on a Talking Heads cover of “Slippery People,” reminding everyone of her well-deserved place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Even after the music ended on “I’m Just Another Soldier,” Staples kept going: “Whoa yeah! I’m gonna keep on fighting, day and night!” She later joined Jones onstage for “I’ll Be Gone” and a big bear hug.

The Friday CMAC audience remained seated for this show, rising for two waves of standing ovations at the end. Upon leaving, one concertgoer remarked to his friend “how nice it is to just be able to relax at a concert.”

Norah Jones shows may feel slow for some. They’re patient and devoid of showy pretense. Her colorful ribbon backdrop is simple and the band members follow her lead, down to Jones audibly counting them off to start several songs. But her multidimensional music talent speaks for itself. No gimmicks here — just a tremendous show from a seasoned pro.

Norah Jones: CMAC setlist

What Am I to You?

I’ll Be Gone (Norah Jones & Mavis Staples duet)

Paradise

Running

Sunrise

Begin Again

Tragedy

I’m Awake

I Just Wanna Dance

Out on the Road

Queen of the Sea

Staring at the Wall

Visions

Come Away With Me

All This Time

On My Way

Carry On?

All a Dream

Encore:

Long Way Home (Tom Waits cover)

Don’t Know Why (Jesse Harris & the Ferdinandos cover)