"O'Connor exudes warmth, romance, and optimism and shines brightly form start to finish. 4 stars." - MOJO
"Her style evokes Patty Griffin and her effortless voice has an assurance and grace reminiscent of Emmylou Harris.For those who appreciate a finely honed voice, this record is a must." - Venus
"Proves she's a serious and talented frontperson.Her emotional voice is light and airy but reveals a dusky jazzy undertone similar to a combination of Norah Jones, Rickie Lee Jones, and Lori Carson.O'Connor's record is a subtly sparking gem." - All Music Guide
Nora O'Connor was born and raised as a first-generation Irish-American on the scrappy south side of Chicago. Mugs down "dere" tend to shoot first, ask questions later - and always get the mother-effing job DONE. The doe-eyed Miss Nora is no exception. In addition to being the most versatile and sought-after singer in town - she is also a legendary bartender, a midwife's assistant (doula) and an ordained reverend. Whether you need to be serenaded, soused, birthed, or hitched, O'Connor has the goods, and how.
For years around Chicago, Nora has been an in-demand hired assassin of singing to the hit-making hoi polloi (Andrew Bird, the New Pornographers, Jeff Tweedy, Archer Prewiit, The Aluminum Group, Janet Bean, Chris Mills, Neko Case, and soul legends Otis Clay and Mavis Staples. Yow!!!), but in the summer of 2004, she finally scootched over just a little bit to center stage where she belongs.
Her debut solo CD, Til the Dawn is an absolutely enchanting disc featuring O'Connor-penned urban honky-tonk originals like "My Backyard," Blue Ridge mountain-style harmonizing on "Nightingale," SoCal-country flavor on the Fleetwood Mac cover "That's Alright," and truly uptown citified-soul on Ketty Lester's "Love Letters." Helping her out in this endeavor (finding people willing to do favors for Nora is pretty easy) are some of Chicago's finest. Andrew Bird, Gerald O'Dowd (Robbie Fulks' drummer), Kelly Hogan, Grant Tye (Robbie's guitarist), Andy Hopkins, and Scott Ligon all add to the great karmic wheel that is the music family of Chicago and whose talents make this a sultry, alluring little record. Til the Dawn has style and grit and finally spotlights Nora's amazingly sweet, yet deliciously salty, beautiful soaring blackbird of a voice. Props are long overdue.
CHECK OUT NORA’S HOMEPAGE AT WWW.BLOODSHOTRECORDS.COM.
This profile was edited with Thomas' myspace editor
