NORAH JONES STILL GROWING.

Byline: Rob Lowman Entertainment Editor

THERE ARE few performers who could effortlessly and eloquently move from Duke Ellington to John Prine. But that's what Norah Jones did Monday night at the Santa Barbara Bowl.

Between her version of the jazz great's ``Melancholia,'' with its nifty piano solo and added lyrics, and a rousing three-part-harmony take on the folk rocker's ``That's the Way That the World Goes Round,'' Jones featured the playfully meditative ``Painter Song'' from her Grammy-winning and massively selling CD, ``Come Away With Me.'' And within three songs, you're caught up in Jones' world. (She plays tonight at the Greek Theatre.)

Taking the stage for her 85-minute set, the 24-year-old Jones sat behind a grand piano and, with her five-piece band, began with her jazzy rendition of the Hank Williams classic ``Cold Cold Heart,'' with its thumping bass. That the song has become identified with Jones speaks to her distinctive song styling.

When there is carping among critics about the Texas singer's surprising success, it tends to be as unbalanced as some of the effusive praise. Too many midtempo tunes, goes one complaint. If that were a case for dismissal, James Taylor and Joni Mitchell would have been long forgotten.

On her second tune of the evening, ``Nightingale,'' which she penned, Jones and her band gave the bluesy-country number a sophisticated sheen. But rather than a rote re-creation of the CD version of the song, Jones - with her slightly husky, soulful vocals - gives herself room to be expressive and interpret the melody like a jazz singer. You could hear it in almost everything she did Monday, including the sultry, syncopated ``I've Got to See You Again'' or a stripped-down version of ``Lonestar'' or the lovely ``Come Away With Me.''

The changes may be subtle, but they are an indication of how the young artist has taken in various influences and created her own voice. And that partially explains her appeal. Whether you're a jazz, pop, blues or country fan, you can hear something of it within her sound. And it's all delivered with seductive sweetness.

Most of the evening she spotlighted songs by others, including some new ones by members of the band - guitarist Adam Levy and bassist Lee Alexander, who wrote four songs on ``Come Away With Me,'' including the sprightly ``Feelin' the Same Way.'' And Jones reached back into what seems like her ongoing musical education for the aching ``Sleepless Nights,'' an Everly Brothers song by Felice and Bourdleaux Bryant that was covered by the legendary country-rocker Gram Parsons. Jones later performed his bittersweet ``She.''

The band also performed AC/DC's ``Ride On,'' as if to prove they could rock, but nobody was really there for that.

Is the Grammy winner ready for all this adulation? Even on stage, Jones seems unsure why she is drawing thousands of fans, and she handles the performance like she is in a smaller venue. (In fact, little more than a year ago, she was playing clubs.) But she is by no means out of her league. Girlishly charming, Jones may be in the spotlight, but she tends to act more like the leader of the band than a diva. There is an obvious rapport among the players and, though young, they have talent - particularly Levy with his sharp guitar licks. But too often, when Jones and the group had a chance to extend themselves, they didn't - a sign she isn't quite sure of herself yet.

Although already highly accomplished and polished for her age, what you really see in her is potential. Jones may not be really ready for the large venues she's playing, but it's obvious she's only going to get better. In the meantime, she is a talent worth catching. As Parsons wrote, ``She sure can sing.''

NORAH JONES - Three stars

Where: Greek Theatre, 2700 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles.

When: 7:30 tonight.

Tickets: $29.50 to $49.50. Call [phone].

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

Norah Jones, appearing tonight at the Greek Theatre, has managed to draw on a multitude of musical influences to come up with a style of her own that's instantly recognizable.

Steven Tackeff/WireImage.com