Album: The Little Willies, For the Good Times (Parlophone)

The Little Willies are a vehicle for Norah Jones and a few of her friends to express their love of old country music, mostly through covers of songs by the likes of Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Lefty Frizzell and Loretta Lynn.

Norah and fellow vocalist Richard Julian bring a warm, smoky charm to their harmonies, while lead guitarist Jim Campilongo stitches together songs such as Ralph Stanley's "I Worship You" and Cal Martin's truckstop waitress tribute "Diesel Smoke, Dangerous Curves" with his deft Telecaster runs. Jones's tone on "Jolene" is less strident than Dolly Parton's original, and their languid delivery of "Lovesick Blues" is apt. Most unusual of all is "Foul Owl on the Prowl", the murderer's menacing jukebox favourite from In the Heat of the Night, set to suitably stalking piano.

DOWNLOAD THIS: I Worship You; Lovesick Blues; Jolene; Foul Owl on the Prowl