The Questlove Show - QLS Classic: Norah Jones

Episode Date: March 18, 2024

Back in 2020, Questlove had a special one-on-one interview with Norah Jones. She has sold over 50 million albums and earned nine Grammys. In this special QLS, Questlove and Norah reflect on 20 years of their friendship, and her musical journey from a restaurant server to a Blue Note Records superstar for a new generation.   Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media.

Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clivert Show on the I-Heart Radio app,

Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. When a group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist, they take matters into their own hands. I vowed. I will be his last target. He is not going to get away with this. He's going to get what he deserves. We always say that trust your girlfriends.

Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, all. wherever you get your podcast. What's up, everyone? I'm Ego Vodam. My next guest, it's Will Ferrell. Woo, woo, woo, woo.

My dad gave me the best advice ever. He goes, just give it a shot. But if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat, just hang out. there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot

of luck. Yeah. Listen to Thanks Dad on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Questlove Supreme is a production of Iheart Radio. What's up? This is Unpaid Bill from Questlove Supreme. So Questlove does this thing usually like once a season, where he sits down for one on him. Many of us do that, and you can expect to hear mine soon. But anyway, back in May of 2020, Amir spoke with Nora Jones about her career. An unlikely

journey into the spotland. There's a lot of heart and soul in this conversation, and if you know Nora's music, that's no surprise. As we celebrate Women's History Month, we are picking special episodes for classics. This one is very special, and you'll hear why. This is going to be silly.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another episode of Quest Love Supreme. This is Questlove. Today I'm solo, solo alone, holding it down the fort without boss or on Pai Bill, sugar steed, Leier, or Fonticolo. So we are very honored today to be talking shop with a good friend of mine,

multi-crambi winner, multi-instrumentalist, singer, just about everything, almost celebrating 20 years in this industry since her debut. What else is there to say so well-rounded, so awesome? Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Nora Jones to Questlove Supreme. Hi. I'm a cheering session. How are you doing? I'll take it.

Where are you right now? I'm in the country. I'm in a bedroom. I'm in a bedroom here. Yeah, I'm in bed. Okay. So I'm sort of in bed. Yeah.

Kind of in this new reality. Yep. So, yes, of course, I have to ask, like, how are you adjusting to what we are now calling the new reality? You know, for a lot of creatives, I know. This is either a moment for them to finally just take a breather and not have to deal with the circle of the work that we put into. For other people, it's like, okay, more creativity. Like, where are you falling on this? Well, my kids are almost four years old and six, so I wish I could be more creative.

But there isn't a ton of time. Okay. But I have little snippets of ideas and yeah, it's more about how do I get them to not yell at me. Okay. So you're creative in that way. Full-time entertainment mode. Yes, exactly. Full-time entertainment mood.

Okay. I see. Oh, would you like a hot dog for lunch again? Okay, cool. Sorted there. Okay. It's good, though. It's a good distraction.

I'll say that. Okay. Yeah. The prime purpose of the podcast, at least for me, is kind of seeing the machinery inside the vehicle and always the creative process. So, I mean, I know you've been asked this a billion times before, but, you know, I like to take this approach for our viewers or our listeners. Where were you born? I was born in New York. Actually, yeah.

What part of New York? I think her apartment was like on 27th in Lexington. Okay. In Manhattan, yeah. Do you know your first musical memory, your first childhood musical memory? Probably my mom's records. I don't know the exact first, but I remember listening to Willie Nelson and Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin. So your mom was a promoter, correct?

You know, that's how she met my dad. She worked for a promoter for a short time, but not really, not like long term. So she wasn't the Bill Graham of her error, that type of thing. No, she definitely wasn't. She had many careers. She was a dancer, and then she broke her ankle, and then she was in the theater. She worked in commercials behind the scenes, and then she was a real estate agent, and then a nurse. So she was kind of all over the place.

Okay. So her record collection. sort of seeped into you. What types of records were those? A lot of gospel, Aretha Franklin gospel era stuff, a lot of early Ray Charles, country music. She's from Oklahoma. Okay. So that was sort of in the water too, because I grew up in Texas. We moved to Texas when I was about three. Really? Yeah. So how different was that from, well, I mean, not that you would have. I don't have that many memories. New York memories. But actually, my first memory is of a dream I had of playing in the playground at Washington Square Park. So. But other than that, no. I don't

really remember. So even in the beginning, I mean, what was there for you? I know, like, a lot of musicians come through either an older siblings record or, you know, like a cousin or someone that that puts them on to it. But for you, like, did you also like the music of the day? Like, I mean, by the time you were five or six, like Madonna was a thing. So like, do you remember like your first actual purchase outside of your mother's record collection?

Yeah, I mean, I don't think I listened to the music of the day till I was about nine or 10, and then I sort of started listening to pop radio. Oh, so you were old soul from zero to nine? Well, kind of. That explains a lot. Okay. Yeah.

That explains your seasoning. I listen to like oldies radio. And oldies. You know, for us in that generation, it was like 1950s and 60s pop music. You got tricked. Not the Beatles. Like not as cool as that yet, but like before that pre that, you know. No, that's my story.

Yeah, which is great. My dad was an oldies duop singer. So I thought the thing was like he tricked me. I thought that was the music. of the day. That's so funny. And then in first grade, like my music teacher's like,

no. Yeah. Like, here are the VGs, here are, you know, that sort of thing. But I thought like Frankie Lyman

and the teenagers was like, I thought there was like a new record, why do you fool small love? Like that sort of thing. That's pretty funny. Yeah, that was my stuff until I was like nine. And then because my mom didn't listen to pop radio.

She listened to NPR. So I didn't know about that stuff. I had like a babysitter who was into Madonna. But, Then when I was nine, it was full on whatever was out and popular I was into. So what were you, like, how are you relating to your friends in the area, like in school and whatnot, if you didn't share the same music taste that they didn't? I don't even know.

I mean, I was in choir in school and church. I don't remember it being weird or feeling different. And then by the time kids were more interested in that kind of stuff, I was already listening. I think the first cassette I purchased was Digital Underground because I liked the Humpty Dance. Yeah, I loved it. It was the best thing I'd ever heard. Okay. Fiona Apple also has a hilarious story where when she was making title, I think she was like getting gas and she saw like shot jeep and digital underground like lost it.

Like just ran into it. That's amazing. Freaking Digital Underground. Okay. Yeah. You mentioned playing piano in church. What type of church was this? Was this?

This was a Methodist church in, you know, suburban Texas. It was a nice enough church. But they had a really, actually, I sang in church. I didn't play piano in church. Oh, okay. But she was a cool choir director. I think she was maybe a former Catholic. And so she taught us all these Latin hymns.

Right. So it was cool. And then, you know, we did like our God as an awesome God. And then I stopped going to church after that. Oh, okay. Not because of the song, but, you know, it was like a mix of, it was a mix of stuff, is my point. Trust me. Everyone has their church exit is move.

Exactly. Yeah. I see that. But children's choir, basically. Oh, okay. Well, it should be noted. You went to, you went to Booker T. Washington? Yeah.

High school? Yeah. Notables. So, I meant at the time, well, Roy is way older than you. Yeah, he was older, but he was like the hometown hero. So. Were you in school at the time of Erica? Or was that even, she was way over.

No, she was a little bit older, too. And her album came out when I was a junior maybe or a senior. So again, it was like a huge big deal for us all. And I was obsessed with that album. And it was so cool. She came back and did a talk at the school. It was fun. Okay.

What is it about that high school? Is that a performing arts high school? Yeah. So what is it? Because oftentimes, I mean, when people think of Texas, we don't think of like performing art schools and, you know, type of artistic expressions and that sort of thing. But, like, is the community like that down there? I mean, Texas is a big place. The Dallas area is a huge suburban place full of small neighborhoods, you know, or big neighborhoods.

So, you know, you can travel 20 miles and it's completely different community. But so this school was cool because it draws, it draws from all over the city. You have to audition to get in, but anybody can go there. So kids were commuting from all over the city. And it was sort of a, it was, I don't know, it was, it was like the place where all the cool, weird artists went, ended up, you know. I came from like a super heavy football marching band situation. Cheerleaders were queens of the school. You were the marching band?

I was. I played saxophone. You play saxophone? I mean, I haven't in 30 or 25 years maybe. but if you see a saxophone. I'm assuming an alto or a tenor. Alto. I do hold a special place for a marching band in my heart.

But you'll never pick up a sax again? I mean, it's so gross. I still have my saxophone. No, no, the saxophone is not gross. I still have my saxophone. And I think the reed is still attached from 25 years. It's probably disgusting and growing all kinds of mold in it. But for some reason, I still have it.

Somewhere. I feel like you're the type of creative that will, you're the type of artist that I feel as though you're, you like experiments. You often change, evolve and go through metamorphosis. I do. I like that. It's fun. Okay.

When you break out your saxophone, I'll be in that bed. I don't know about that. I don't know if that's going to happen. I need to practice guitar more first. You always down your Like every Clip I see of you And you talk about your guitar

You always seem like I need to prove my guitar I need to prove I do You seem to do fine Or you're saying that you just hide well behind Whoever is playing Oh that's the secret thoughts Well I think my thing on guitar is cool

I just I don't play enough I'm not good at just playing Music at home all the time I don't know how you are if you're always playing no matter what. For so long, I think I just worked so much. I didn't even think about having to play or practice. And so now when I'm not working at all, I'm like, I forget to play, you know.

I was going to say, I wanted to know, well, before I get into that, I wanted to know what your, when did piano? When all said and done, do you consider the piano, your acts of choice or your voices? an act of choice. When did you start playing piano? I started playing piano when I was seven and I wanted to take piano lessons really bad. And so my mom got a piano and after a couple weeks, I wanted to quit because I didn't like the idea of having to practice, you know? And so my mom, yeah, my mom was like, no, I bought you a piano because you wanted to play. And she said, she said you have to take until for five years and that way and then you can quit that way if you ever want to go back to it'll be easier and I thought that was pretty annoying at the time but in hindsight it's pretty

it was pretty cool because after five years I quit like on the dot I was like all right my five years is up really more scales yeah I just didn't want to practice how many hours a day did you have to practice I'm I'm the most lazy procrastinating practice but um I don't even remember but I know I had a really good teacher. She was awesome, but it was just the classical style of learning. And it didn't spark a lot of creativity in my mind for some reason. So I quit. And then about a year later, my mom took me to like, I don't know,

she took me to a big band concert. And then she took me to see Marion McPartland play in the park. Right. And I said, this is cool. What's this? You know? Right. And so she found this teacher.

Well, I think I was playing saxophone by that time in marching band. And my saxophone teacher recommended this jazz piano teacher in Dallas named Julie Bunk. She was super cool and she was a great teacher. She taught me how to read core changes and improvise and tried to spark me in writing songs. So it just totally took a different direction from then. So this is how you're discovering jazz chops. Yeah, this is like eighth grade when I got into jazz. And my mom, she checked out like, you know, the Smithsonian Jazz Collection at the library and we dubbed it on a cassette.

And then that was my Bible for a few years. Really? Yeah. So how did you hone those chops into like, did you play in local bands, high school bands? Like, did you bond with anybody your age? in jazz or yeah I mean keep it to yourself

well being in marching band I mean the kids of marching band already were sort of into stuff like that some of them there was like a jazz band and then I went to Interlaken for a summer what is that it's like an arts camp in Michigan

oh yeah it's two months long and um I got really into hanging with people who knew a lot about it, you know? Right. And then I really wanted to go there.

They had a, they have a school during the year, an art school, but you have to leave home. It's like a, what do you call it? A school where you live there. My brain isn't working right now. But my mom was like, no way. You're not leaving home. Oh, you just wanted to. Yeah, I just loved it.

It was great. And I wanted to continue doing it. And she was like, hell no. Check the school out. found Booker T. Washington. And we moved to Dallas just so I could be in county to audition and go there. And then all the kids there, that's, I mean, I learned from the kids at my school. I learned so much.

So many of those kids knew so much about music, so many geniuses. You know probably a lot of them. I was going to say, any other notable students at there at the time that are like. Well, I think the people that I learned, most with were piano players who a couple of them were a year or two older. Like I was there when Braylon Lacey was there

and Sean Martin on the keys R.C. Williams. Right. I learned so much from these guys. They grew up in church playing piano and the church bands and stuff. And they knew, I mean, they're just geniuses anyway.

But I don't know. It was a cool, cool environment. Was it equally like a sort of accepting atmosphere or did you feel like all right i got to come with it and let them know i speak the same language or no i was such a dork i was just like hi guys can i hang out with you um it was super accepting everybody there was an odd ball you know anyway so everybody was cool uh see i i went to i went to school with uh christian mcbride and joey d francisco Wow.

And Kurt Rosenwinkel. And I can, I, I, I always compare going to that, the school I went to, the Philadelphia version of that school, kind of as, I consider it sort of like a, it was like a gang experience, like a Bloods and Crips experience. That's funny. And Joey and Chris, like, they wouldn't even, they don't give you the time of day or. respect. Like, you instantly know that they're the alphas of band class and that you had to, I mean, the first day of school, the first day of school, Miles Davis is giving a master class. Wow. Not only takes Joey and Chris to do this thing with him on television, but then later hires Joey. That's right.

To replace Kenny Kirkland. So that was like my first day at the school. And so. you know, they just knew all traditional jazz. Meanwhile, Kurt Rosen Winkle, who's such an experimental avant-garde musician. I mean, he's on Verb Records right now, but back then he was trying to unlearn me or unteach me all the traditional, like the traditional stuff. And he's like, nah, man, I want you listening to Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart and, you know, Manavishu Orchestra of John McLaugh. And so, you know, I was like trying to, I was on like both sides of the gang. That's great for you. I mean, it was cool.

But then I left them both for a rap career. So, you're informed by all of it. And you became who you are, you know. It helped. But it was like, it was literally like being into, like whatever side was winning. That was my side. Like, okay. That's funny.

You're the, you're the ping pong ball. Exactly. I didn't feel that. I know that attitude you're talking about. It's like a young musician thing for sure, I feel like. But I didn't feel that at my school. Maybe I was too naive to see it, but I never felt it. Oh, okay.

It's pretty welcoming. I see. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined.

And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger.

So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. In 2023, former bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found himself at the center of a paternity scandal. The family court hearings that followed revealed glaring, inconsistence in her story. This began a years-long court battle to prove the truth. You doctored this particular test twice in so-ins, correct? I doctored the test once. It took an army of internet detectives to crack the case. I wanted people to be able to see

what their tax dollars were being used for. Some lights the greatest disinfected. They would uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing. Greg Lepinian, Michael Marantini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trap. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Ladies and gentlemen,

breaking news at Americopa County as Laura Owens has been indicted on fraud charges. This isn't over until justice is served in Arizona. Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule 1. One, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that, trust your girlfriends.

I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends, Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no.

I vowed, I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I mean, before your career took off, I mean, did you have a plan just for like, okay,

I'll do the college thing, go to Berkeley or go to... Yeah. Yeah, well, we were in Dallas, so I wanted to go to like the new school or Manhattan School of Music, but we stayed in state tuition because the university in North Texas has a great jazz program. Okay. And so I went there for two years and I took all my classes, all my music classes, and I failed my classical piano jury because I just didn't practice enough. and then I came to New York for the summer and I had a real sort of moment of reckoning and I thought well if I go back to finish college

I'm going to have to take academics for two years because I already took all the jazz classes and I'm going to have to do classical two years of classical juries and really practice and I just didn't want to do any of that what does that entail what did it entail like the classical jury part It's not that it was so hard.

It's that I really just didn't practice enough. It was like scales and arpeggios and one song. It wasn't that hard. I was really into the other stuff I was doing and I kind of let it slide. Understandable. Understandable. So once you came to New York, what was the paradigm shift that really opened its doors as far as like, okay, I can have a career and start singing like what was that moment well i mean i realized that i could play gigs and but i would have

to start wedding tables it was different because in college i had a weekly gig where i i made enough money to make my rent and um plus tips and food i played at this restaurant and i learned how to sing and play at the same time which is sort of it was just like paid practice so it was great But then when I moved to New York, I realized, oh, shit, I got to wait tables because I can't make enough money playing gigs because they didn't pay very much at all. And I got a little burnt out. I came to New York singing jazz and playing the piano. But I wasn't as good a piano player as most piano players out there. But I knew I could sing, so I had that, you know, that going for me.

Yeah. Sort of, you know, trying to, I came to New York to do this thing and then I, what happened? Your eyes just went like, oh, shit. You can't hear this, can you? No. Zoe, I'm interviewing Nora Jones right. Okay, this is a flex. Zoe Craves just interrupted us.

I'm interviewing Nora Jones right now for my podcast. Hi, Nora Jones. Okay, over there in London. Okay, thank you. Sorry. Bye. Bye. Wait, I'm sorry.

Okay. Side note, it's 20-20. I'm the person that likes a person to text me first and then tell me that they're calling, not just call me. That's the thing that people do now, but it's kind of weird too. Wait, are you a call before you, are you a text before you call person? Yes, because everybody is. Or at least warned before you FaceTime

Yes, but I'm also not somebody who just picks up the phone If somebody calls me You seem to also be someone who just picks it up no matter what Well, I saw it was her and I was like, okay, this must be about I work on her show, so obviously But I forgot to turn my ring off So I know that Bill was going to kill me over that too, sorry No, it's the thing you either ignore the call

if you don't want to be caught off guard or you take it anyway. So I guess that says a lot about you to say, you even though you prefer the text. I didn't know how to turn it off. Sorry. Oh, I don't care. Anyway, yeah, so you were saying that singing, at least gave you an edge. I really, I love your voice, by the way, which, you know, I don't think you get enough praise for. Like, who's the person that?

Who's your spirit animal when you're singing? Because I'm not a singer, I can't say. I know that when I'm drumming, there's four particular drummers that I know influenced and raised me, and I'm like a combination of that. But who's your singing spirit animal? I think growing up, it was Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin and Billy Holiday. All right.

I'm skipping to the future. How was it working with Ray on the, on his duets record. It was amazing. He was super sweet. We did three live takes, and then he left, and that was it. Just real quick, in and out? It was just real quick, live takes with the band,

and Billy Preston was playing in Oregon. So it was awesome. My mom came. She saw him play when she was in high school, so it's the first time I've ever seen her quiet, you know. It was great. He was pretty sick already, so. Okay

He was nice though So just cordial Same song got out Blamma Super nice though Yeah like like warm and kind But um I mean I love all these people

But I think I've tried to keep I don't know I learned I think when I came to New York And I was singing jazz And I got a little Sort of disheartened And I realize I'm singing

All these old songs That Billy Holiday sang And I'm putting my own spin on it And it's cool, but I started going to the living room and writing songs and singing songs by my friends that they were writing. And I felt a little more creative in that way. And it kind of fell off the jazz scene. So you didn't want to get typecast as like sort of derivative Billy Holiday.

I don't know if it was about wanting to get typecast. I think it was just about I couldn't get any gigs that were satisfying. You know, I played in restaurants. I went to Smalls a lot and I watched people play and it was awesome, but I couldn't get a gig there yet. And I did get a gig at the living room, though, where the audience listened and I felt really connected to something. I was going to say, okay, so I've been in New York for 10 years now. And I'll often, I got a little maybe four or five in the cut jazz spots that I go to just to chill and be anonymous or as anonymous as. you can be at 6-3 with an afro.

But the one thing that really is disheartening for me, when I'm in these jazz clubs, is oftentimes, like, tourists will come and they'll just talk over you. And it's almost like you're just a human jukebox and just in the background to their conversation. Like, is that just...

That's the disheartening thing that you were. I don't know if I realized as tourists then. I mean, that was 20 years ago. I moved to New York 20 years ago last summer. Well, now I observe it as tourists. Well, now it is more tourists. It is more so than it used to be. But, I mean, I think at the time, like, I couldn't get a gig there yet

because I wasn't as good of a piano player. And a lot of those places didn't hire a ton of singers. I'm not saying they never hired singers, but it wasn't really, it didn't seem that easy for me to play in a place where people were really listening. Oh, you would have to. So your piano chops have to be on point to get. Kind of. I get it. Okay.

Yeah. And also, just like the gigs they could get and did get were restaurant gigs. I kind of knew going in, they weren't like listening room gigs. And they were great practice. But once I started playing original music for tips instead of like, 40 bucks. It was just more satisfying. I started waiting more tables and doing

less restaurant gigs and more singer-songwriter place gigs. And it was more sad. It was just more fulfilling and inspiring if that makes sense. Some curious, before you started doing original material, you would just go

through the fake book and just through the standards? Yeah, I kind of mostly did standards. I mean, I wouldn't just yeah, I mean, I had like my favorites and I would do a lot of that. I wonder, is the fake book still a thing? I still have one. You still have a fake?

Okay. Yeah. For our listeners out there, I don't want to date myself, but I would probably say that if you were a jazz musician, a working jazz musician or a student in the 60s, 70s or 80s, There was sort of a Wikipedia slash Cliff Notes guide tutorial to core charts of every jazz song. And the same for singers as well. And it's almost like a Bible of jazz, which you kind of need. It's pretty cool.

So they still make fake books? I don't know. I know I have an old, old, old one. Yeah, I was going to say, do you know why? Do you know why they call it a fake book? I don't know. But then they had the real book. They called it the real book, I thought.

And then they called it a fake book too. But I could never understand the difference between a real book and a fake book. Well, my guess is that the fake book had other songs in it. And it wasn't officially done by that company. But yeah, it was definitely like not nobody got paid for it. Right. It wasn't, it wasn't cheat music. It was like cheat music that was underground and circulated like on a Xerox machine.

Exactly. Yeah. When did you get your deal? And how did you come to the attention of Bruce at Blue Note? Well, I was doing one of those jazz restaurant gigs at the garage on 7th Avenue. And my bass player's friend's wife, they all came for brunch. It was like a brunch gig. And she happened to work for EMI Music Publishing, and I was doing jazz at that gig.

I had started, you know, doing those songwriter gigs already, but this was a jazz gig. And she said, hey, I know Bruce Lendval. I met him at a company picnic. What if I set up an appointment for you? And I was like, all right, whatever. And I figured it right. Yeah, I'm like, okay. I mean, sure, I'll show up.

That's for sure. But I didn't really know if she was for real. Right. And I had a demo that I had made to take around to clubs to get gigs. So I brought the demo. I had two standards on it. And it had one song by my friend Jesse Harris, who wrote, don't know why. We were already friends and playing around together.

Right. And so I brought it in. I was 20. It was the gig was my 21st birthday. So it was probably 2000. Yeah, it was 2000. April of 2000 is when I had this meeting with him. On your birthday?

No, the gig was on my birthday, so it was like a month later. So, yeah, after, okay, okay. And then that's when you knew shit was real. I mean, I knew she could get me an appointment with him. I didn't really know what was real for a while, but he said, well, there's this pop song on here kind of, man, it's not really a pop song, but whatever, it was not a jazz standard. Right. And he's like, so do you want to be a jazz singer or a pop singer? And I was like, uh, I'm sitting there in Blue Note office, a jazz singer, you know.

And then he gave me some money to make some demos. And the demos ended up being a few of the songs from that first record. And he decided that it wasn't super jazz. It wasn't like, it wasn't what he thought. It wasn't jazz, but he still liked it enough to sign it. Right. So he went ahead and signed me. All right.

So in hindsight, because no one can plan this phenomenon, how does one capture lightning in the bottle? Like there's no way in the world that you can ever foresee that you're about to make history. I don't even know if you accepted the fact that you've made history or if you're just taking the, no, those are the, that's what I was feeling at the time in 1999 and made these songs.

and that sort of thing. It definitely was. The actual album was just us capturing moments as a lot of albums are, but I think this one was done with a lot of spontaneity and don't know why. That song, Don't Know Why, was the demo that we recorded the first day of recording. And it was the live take.

Everything in the take is live. We added an extra guitar and some harmonies, and that was it. So that was the very first thing you recorded. Yeah, and that was for these demos to get signed. It wasn't even signed yet. And then once I got signed, I like went back in and we did a bunch of more produced sessions that ended up getting mostly cut. And then we went back to kind of the demo style of recording. Just said, oh, let's get that first song we did and see what happens with that.

We tried to re-record, don't know why, and it was so not as good. So we just got the demo. It's, it's funny you say that. Do you know the story behind Christina Aguilera's beautiful? Linda Perry has a story in which, you know, like she wants our artist to like live with a demo for about three or four weeks, and then that way, they really internalize the song, and then they come back, and then they kill the song. And so Christina's like, all right, let me just go in

and sing this thing real quick. And so she just did like a rough, you know, yawn. All right, here's my take. And then I'll come back and I'll really, you know, kill the shit. You mean before she lived with it? Yeah, before she lived with it, you know. And then Christina's expecting, like, to add her, you know, all her agularisms to it.

And, you know, Linda was like, no, let's just stick with the demo. And Christina, like, it was like the biggest fight of their relationship, like. Really? And she's like, no, the dryness and the regularness of this. is what sells the song. Trust me. And she, I don't know, they forced it or kicked it and screamed it, but like, she, Linda Perry won the, the battle and the demo is the version that we know.

Whereas Christina felt like, let me, you know, add exclamation points to the end of the sentence. She's like, she's like an athlete. She's like this insane vocalist, right? But this was just a foul shot. It wasn't a, it wasn't the, you know, the all-star dunk contest. But it had the heart. I mean, I think that for me, I'm way better on first takes or not even just first takes, but like when the spontaneity factor is there.

And yes, you need to know the song and be able to sell the lyric. But for me, when I, when I overthink or over-rehears something, it's not as good. Yeah. I love the spontaneity. My engineer is smart enough to know to record everything. So oftentimes I'll, like, quote, run down a performance and then be like, all right, let me go for it. And then we always just wind up choosing the, where you're not thinking about it. Or the 15th drunk take.

Yeah. It's like, you do the first three, you know. Okay. So you worked with one of my heroes on this record, Mr. Martin. Yeah, Arif Martin. Yeah, Arif, you know, he, for me, I know this is odd for people to hear, but the average white band is like they were my heroes growing up. And their drummer Steve Farone is my drumming idol.

Steve Ferone actually gave me his actual drum set from all those sessions that I still use on the Tonight Show now. And Arif produced them. and so that's how I came to attention from you because it's almost like anything that a reef is touched then I purchased it without fault so that's how like that's funny I was like oh wow he's a new artist he's still producing oh my god and then that's how it entered how did you how how is he assigned to you well when Bruce Lundval signed me um I was obsessed with um the Cassandra Wilson new moon daughter album that was on their note that he had, you know, put out a few years before.

And I really wanted to work with Craig Street, who's an amazing producer. And so I did. And it was incredible. We had the most amazing musicians. I love Craig. It was great. But there was something about those sessions that just didn't capture my vocal in the right way that where it sounded like the thing from the demos that we had already captured. So we ended up kind of going back to the drawing board, which was crazy at the time.

I didn't think I was going to have the option to remake my record. I didn't think they were going to give me any extra money to do it. Right. And it was weird that it even happened, but Bruce, it was his idea to go back and try to recapture the sort of first thing we did. So he said, but I'm going to have my friend O'Reif Martin. He had just hooked up with Manhattan. The label that Bruce was also running was another label called Manhattan. Anyway, Arif was doing stuff with him.

And so he said, I want Arif Martin to come and do it. And I was really nervous at that point. I was like, ah. Did you know his predigree by that point? I did. I mean, I grew up on all those Aretha records and on Donnie Hathaway. And I was nervous that he was going to come in and not listen to me or not. because he was this huge producer.

And then he came in and he's like the sweetest, older Turkish man. And he came into the sessions. And I told Bruce, I was like, okay, but after a couple days, if it's not working out, you're just going to let me do this, right? It was so weird. I was like 21 years old, you know. I was both scared and also really stubborn, you know? Right, right.

And he ended up being, he let us kind of do our thing, but he guided us. but he knew the situation. And so the more we got to know him, the more he was able to help, you know, tell us more what we should do musically. But he became like this great friend. I never in my life thought I would have a friend who was a Turkish man in his 70s.

He was like one of my best friends. And it was incredible. Man, I think the night that I first met you in person was at the Grammys when it was at New York the night that you... Oh, yeah. Because we were, like, rehearsing with Eminem so much,

I couldn't get to a reef. I saw him in the audience and wanted to jump for my drum set, like, and stalking, but I couldn't do that. You're special. I'm going to be the one person that doesn't ask you the cliche of, so what have you learned after, you know,

for any lessons? So, however, I will say that once Kenny G covers your song, that's something. I forgot that. I forgot about that, actually. How many emails did you get over that? I don't remember. I remember Pat Metheny did it, I don't know why. I mean, I didn't write that song.

My friend Jesse Harris wrote it. But still, yeah. We still associated with you no matter what. And I still feel like I own it a little bit. But I don't remember. I must have forgotten that era. There was a whole era there where I don't remember very much, but that's so funny. I forgot about that completely.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need. to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. In 2023, former bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found himself at the center of a paternity scandal. The family court hearings that followed revealed glaring inconsistencies in her story.

This began a years-long court battle to prove the truth. You doctored this particular test twice, Ms. Sond's, correct? I doctored the test ones. It took an army of internet detectives to crack the case. I wanted people to be able to see what their tax dollars were being used for. Sunlight's the greatest disinfected. They would uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing.

Greg Alesspian. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trap. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news at Ameriopa County as Laura Owens has been indicted on fraud charges. This isn't over until justice is served in Arizona.

Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never. mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends, oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought,

how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed. I will be his last target. He's going to get what he did. serves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. How eager were you to knock over your jinka design to start all over again? I mean, that's the only way I can describe it.

That's a good way to describe it. How eager were you to do it? I was super eager. I was just eager to make music and I was eager to play guitar and write. more songs. I was inspired. I was listening to a ton of bluegrass at the time. So my second album was a little bit more country inspired. But I was definitely excited to get it over with as well. That's not to say I rushed the music at all or that I was like hurrying and put out something I wasn't proud of, but I was stoked to be inspired and to just go ahead and plow through

the second record and not not overthinking. Oh, for it feels like home, correct? Yeah. I think, but that did like a million its first week, which... Yeah, which was great. Which almost is like, okay. All right. I can move on now. More than... Where did you... Out of your, you know, because you've gone through so many...

I won't even say phases because I don't feel like these are like drastic Bowie or Prince-like. changes in your music. But I mean, you definitely add a personality to all your records. My, okay, so my personal favorite of your canon is little broken hearts. But for you, and don't give me the, like, all my records are like my children. Yeah, some of them I like more than others. Just kidding. But what do you feel that way?

is like what's your I put my my ass in that one my foot in that one I think I also love that one you're talking about see I'm smart the danger mouse one it's just so different and I love the sonics of it but it's funny because I've been playing the last couple years I've been playing here and there with piano trio just me and Brian Blade on drums Chris Thomas on bass sometimes different bass players but And when I started playing with this group, I thought, oh, okay, I'm going to pull out some of the more jazzy songs in my catalog. But truthfully, my favorite songs to play with this setup is the songs from that album, Little Broken Hearts. And they are not, it's just not what I thought it would be.

They're just, I think they're great songs. And I think that Brian Burton is an incredible songwriter. And we had so much fun making that record. and yeah, I agree. Yeah, no, it's definitely special. Do you feel, what is your creative process like with songwriting? Because I know that collaboration is also a big thing for you. Do you tend to do birds of a feather as far as flock to people that,

because I know that you work with Jeff Wilk, Jeff Tweedy, Jeff Wilco. I always call him Jeff Wilco. No, like you work with Tweedy and, but I'm just saying that do you often ever consider like totally like, okay, well, time out. I totally forgot now that you worked with Andre 300,000. So even when you're entering and what we would think your general audience would think like not familiar territory, like how does the, how does the process start? Well, I mean, a lot of stuff. I've collaborated with people on. It's already done.

And I'm just coming in and singing, like with the Andre 3000 thing, the Q-Tip song. I went in and I just sang, what do you want to me to sing? But as far as collaborating, songwriting-wise, it's been evolving over the years.

It's completely changed. I mean, I used to be a nervous songwriter. And now I'm, I think after doing the record with Brian, actually, his process really opened me up to, no fear songwriting? I'm just curious because we're supposed to eventually get with Brian.

What is his actual process? Because no, the thing is I know his YouTube process. Yeah, it might be different for everyone. Oh, I know that's way different. I want to know another non-U2 way. Like, how does it start?

Well, for us, I mean, we just went in. We're pretty comfortable with each other at this point. We were already friends. We'd already hung out a bunch. I sang on the Rome album with him, so I got to know him through all that. But, you know, we both play whatever instruments sound good in the room. And the song starts with a weird baseline or a weird chord progression or me strumming something on the guitar.

And it goes from there. So you'll start with music first. I mean, honestly, I don't remember completely. Not always. Sometimes it'll be a melody or he'll have a melody in his head or he'll have a lyric in a melody in his head or I will. And it's sort of just built from there. And usually we try to get some kind of melody down, whether he's hearing something or whether I am. And then this is where I learned a lot from him.

Because first of all, this process was totally different. different than anything I'd ever done. I'd never gone in the studio with nothing or with a bunch of instruments and just like adding stuff layering it. I've never done that. I had never done that. And so I would like sing some scratch lyrics. He's like, that's cool.

We'll get the lyrics later. I was like, really? I'm so worried about it. Are we going to get him? You know? And I would come in and I'd be like, I'm just worried about this. I really like this, but I don't know what to write. The what are the lyrics.

He's like, they'll come. Don't worry about it. And you know what? They always came. And they were always in the moment and heartfelt. And, you know, we worked on them. But that was a nice way for me to learn. And lately, I've been doing more of that.

I've been going in with people with nothing and just trying to, like, throw stuff at the wall. And coming out with stuff that I'm totally in love with, you know? So you never go through. Because the one thing I have to commend you on, at least, is that you deliver and you push through. because normally whenever anyone gets into a position of something that gargantuan or successful, that's usually when they start sabotaging their creative process. That's usually when writer's block sets in and decades go by before you even hear another note from them. And so the fact that you push through it.

And also, I mean, all your side projects with the little willies and with Puss and Boots. How many other side projects do you have? Which one is, well, my favorite is Carlo. What project is it? You're like the only fan of that band. You know that, right? Fucking yeah. Fucking yeah.

That project is called El Madmo, and that was brief, but we put out a record. And we didn't put any of our names on it because at the time, I think it was right after my second album. had come out. And I think part of me staying creative and enjoying music was to pull back a little bit from all the attention. And so this album was really fun. And then we put it out under these fake names. And then nobody really knew about it. It was kind of like we totally sabotaged it by doing that. But you're like the only fan. Yeah, I have it. It's still on my iPod. Yes. That was sort of the beginning of me playing guitar. And we went on like this huge stadium tour on the Feels Like Home record, basically, and my drummer and my backup singer at the time, we started this band.

Me and her learn how to play bass and guitar a little bit. And that was before Puss and Boots continued my sort of guitar education. But speaking of collaborations, how did you and Billy Joe Armstrong wind up doing the Evely Brothers album? Billy Cho called me and he asked if I would be into doing this thing. And I was a little unsure. I was like, well, let's go in this, studio a couple of days and see if we fit. I'm not going to commit to like a whole album. Did you know anything like of him? Oh yeah.

I knew Green Day. I mean, sure. I mean, like it was like a cold call. Yeah, it was cold call. And I picked up. No. See, that's what happens when you pick up. And it was so incredible.

Now you got to commit to an album. Oh, damn it. No. No, I don't remember. I don't remember it was a cold call. But I can only imagine that there's other. projects that have been pitched to you that you were sort of like, I'm not sure. Wait, can you name one artist that you were supposed to work with or?

I'll never tell. Okay. Have you done a couple times? Have you done a project? Have you done a project? Have you done to? Let me know one. Let me know one.

No, I feel weird. Just say one. It's a regret, meaning that you, you, you, you. I regret. I got an email from Farrell once and I was just too busy. something. I don't know. I was bummed. I didn't do it, but I don't know if it was something crazy or what, but I would have liked you on a song that starts with four hits at the beginning. Me too. Don't call me back. I missed my chance.

No, no. He's always creating, so. Yeah. I mean, that's the thing is I think I went through a little period of kind of being overwhelmed by everything and just wanting to sort of chill. So I said no to some things that year. I had a little bit of my own little mini nervous breakdown. But yeah, Billy Joe called me and I said, let's try a couple days before we commit to doing it. Because he wanted to do this whole album. It wasn't just a song or two.

And it was cool. He let me hire the band from New York. He came to New York to do it. And I really love that record. It's beautiful. Wow. Yeah. Surprising?

I mean, it's not surprising. It is surprising. Well, I mean, the thing is, is that I was sort of like, okay, but then it's like, okay, you collaborate with everyone. So it's almost like I'm not shocked. It wasn't that shocking. But, yeah, okay. So I play well with others, you could say. All right.

So our alto saxophone drum collaboration. We'll do sun raw songs or whatever. That'd be fun. So is picking me off the floor, that's going to be your eighth record, correct? I don't know. Well, you're eighth, Nor Jones. Seventh or eighth? I'm not sure.

Okay. Besides the single, I haven't heard the... Oh, you haven't? I haven't heard the album yet. Oh, that's too bad. I really, I think you'll be into it. Are you into Brian Blade? Yes.

Well, more than that, I'm a Norah Jones fan. I'm not doing this because you're just... next one on the pike, like. Well, I think you'd like it because it's a lot of this piano trio stuff I was talking about. I got really inspired to write for this piano trio setup. And we ended up adding stuff and adding some production to it. But most of the records started sort of stripped down. And the single is actually not even what this is.

The two songs I've released so far are the two exceptions to the sort of piano trio base of this record. So it's the opposite of it? Yeah, a little bit. But that's okay. Who did you work with production-wise? I did two songs with Jeff Tweety. Okay. And those were awesome.

And then the rest, I just sort of did it in New York. I've been doing these collaborations and trying to release singles lately just to stay inspired and not have to do like a whole album cycle. And in the process of doing all these, I got all these extra tracks that I loved. And so they all kind of fit together. And that's the album. So you're just going to do a bunch of one-off singles and... Yeah, I have been doing...

I have been trying to just like collaborate with people I love. Like, doing that Billy Joel thing was so cool, but it was still a commitment because it was a whole album. So I've been trying to do just one song with people. I did one with Tank, you know, Tank from Tank the Bangas. And Jeff Tweedy, we did a couple. And these two songs on this album are from that session too. I just had all these extra songs from these sessions.

All right. Well, I mean, in terms of do you still feel that the date will still get honored or? I think we pushed it to June. Okay. Yeah. You know, it's funny. I feel like people are home. Maybe they want something to listen to, but I think everybody's watching Netflix. So it's okay. What are you watching? Like, what have you binged out on? Oh, a lot of Barbie Dreamhouse. So what your kids are watching? Yeah, basically. I don't have any control.

It's funny. Four to seven, your kids are in the house. God, they do. And every night, they go to sleep. And then I'm like, cool, I'm going to watch something. Nope, I'm asleep. I see. I see.

I feel you. Have you watched Last Man on Earth? The sitcom? Yeah. What's his name? Will Forte. I love that. that show to death. Yes. I love that show so much. I was so sad when it stopped.

I know. Every night, I think I'm going to rewatch Last Man on Earth right now. It feels like the right moment. But I'm one of those people that when I commit to a series and I know it's going to be over, I never watched the last three. Like my pin ultimat is always like the last three or four. So even with like modern family, which as a completeist, I feel like I have to watch the last season, even though it kind of waned off after season nine. Oh, yeah. But I'd never like watching the last three episodes of a series when it's over. Really?

Yeah, I loved Last Man of Earth. And I kind of feel like that's my reality right now. Well, I know. That's what reminded me of it for sure. Wait, so you didn't watch the last three episodes? No, no, I did. Yes. Oh, you did?

I got you. I didn't watch the last three yet. No. Oh, you should watch them now. It's the time is right. I hate goodbyes. I mean, I, I don't know. It's like hard.

You like having it hanging over your head? Yeah. But now, you're right. Now is the time to do it because I've been watching. I made the mistake of watching that damn, what do you call it? The Tiger King thing. Oh, I didn't watch that, yeah. Which I kind of want my nine hours back.

Well, you were part of a movement. You were in it with the rest of the world. Every, right. I mean, everyone was part of this conversation. I was like, I felt FOMO and I wanted, you know, okay, I want to watch it too and now regret it. Yeah. So, I don't know. I mean, I'm going to finish Ozarks and.

Oh, yeah. I want to start that because I have never watched that. Everybody's talking about that. Okay. So does, in my opinion, does, okay, does Sopranos or the Wire or Breaking Bad mean anything to you? I watched all the Sopranos. I watched all of Breaking Bad. Okay. I did not watch all of the wire.

Okay. Then this could easily be in fourth place. I mean, in my personal opinion, I feel like... Ozark? Oh, no doubt. Cool. I mean, even one of the actresses has already won an Emmy for a performance. It's, it's, it's, it's that level of, of darkness and. Sounds delicious.

So that's, that's my recommendation. Wait, now I feel like I'm taking away from creativity if I'm telling you to start binging out on television shows. No, I would, I would love to have a show to binge on. I would love to. Okay. Go write a song, but. I see.

I see. Well, you know, I appreciate you for taking the time out to, to do that. And you too, good to see you. Hopefully. I don't know. Maybe you can, you know, broadcast from your crib. Do you do social media at all? No, it's kind of terrifies me.

I started doing some live recordings and putting them out during all this. Right. And it's been fun, but I'm not good at, like, browsing the comments. It just makes me feel crazy. No, no, never read the comments. Never read the comments. Makes me feel crazy. I've tried to do Instagram a few years back, and I just felt like an idiot because I don't want to show pictures of my kids, but I don't want to fake it and pretend.

So I just hated it. I couldn't deal. And then I was thinking about, oh, what would be a good post? I'm like, okay, that goes against the point. You either got to, like, just post whatever or don't. Post what you're cooking. That's a good place to stop. No one ever disagreed.

Hot dogs for lunch again. Yes, there you go. You should start a hot dog account, seriously. A hot dog account. Well, Nora, I appreciate you. Thank you for your artistry. Thank you for taking the time out. Thank you.

Ladies and gentlemen, this has been Questlove Supreme. You have Team Supreme. I bid you do stay safe, everybody. And we'll see you on. Quest Love Supreme is a production of IHeart Radio. For more podcasts from IHeart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement

to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

When a group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist, they take matters into their own hands. I vowed. I will be his last target. He is not going to get away with this. He's going to get what he deserves. We always say that trust your girlfriends. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe, on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I got you.

Everyone, I'm Ago Wode. My next guest, it's Will Ferrell. My dad gave me the best advice ever. He goes, just give it a shot. But if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a... calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right. It wouldn't be

that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks Dad on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.