Q (11/03, p.117) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...[Malick] coaxes some surprisingly gutsy performances from Jones..."
Uncut (11/03, p.122) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Jones sounds as ballsy as a young Bonnie Raitt, and her cover of Dylan's 'Heart of Mine' is outstanding....This is further proof she's the real deal..."
Mojo (Publisher) (11/03, p.129) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...NEW YORK CITY is a worthy addition to the Jones canon..."
Personnel: Peter Malick (vocals, guitar); Norah Jones (vocals, piano);
Mike Thompson (accordion, piano); Tom West (piano); Danny McGough (Wurlitzer piano, Hammond B-3 organ, Mellotron); Jeff Turmes (bass); Eric Gardner,
Marty Richards (drums).
Recorded at Room 9 From Outer Space, Boston, Massachusetts and Popsquad, West Hollywood, California between August 2000 & May 2003. Includes liner notes by Peter Malick.
"Here, in the tradition of Billie Holiday was a stunningly beautiful, blues infused voice. This was my first contact with Norah Jones." Peter Malick was not talking about hearing COME AWAY WITH ME for the first time, but about encountering an unknown artist working in the trenches of New York City clubs approximately two years before Ms. Jones's Grammy deluge. Fortunately for Malick, Jones was receptive to the idea of working together on some of his own bluesy material. The resulting sessions, recorded in 2000 and released here as the EP-length NEW YORK CITY, give listeners an opportunity to hear an even younger Jones, one who still sounds impossibly seasoned and very much the self-assured artist.
Malick, who was a teenage protege of blues great Otis Spann over 30 years ago, contributes full-bodied and tasty guitar accompaniment. Though the material and production values on NYC aren't quite up to the standard of Jones's debut on Blue Note, her contribution as lead vocalist justifies the adage "it's the singer not the song," ensuring that this release is worthy of attention.