Day Breaks is the sixth solo studio album by American singer and songwriter Norah Jones, released on October 7, 2016, through Blue Note Records. The album, which features nine new songs and three covers, sees Jones return to a piano-driven sound as heard on releases early in her career.
In November 2015 while on a brief US tour, Jones confirmed that she had finished "a big chunk" of recording for her sixth studio album and that it was "coming soon." On March 1, 2016, Jones announced on social media that she was almost finished with her new album. On August 5, 2016, Jones announced the October 7, 2016 release date and title for the album, Day Breaks.
Jones composed the nine original songs from Day Breaks on piano, which is a return to her roots and the sound of her 2002 debut album, Come Away with Me. "This new album feels full circle because I'm going back to my early influences," says Jones. "After the first record, I drifted away from the piano a little bit. I still played it, but was more inspired to write on guitar. I really loved playing piano on this record." With the help of co-producer Eli Wolf, Jones enlisted renown jazz musicians such as drummer Brian Blade, organist Lonnie Smith and saxophonist Wayne Shorter for recording the album. Blade previously worked with Jones on her debut, Come Away with Me. Having just had a baby and a piano in her kitchen, Jones wrote much of the album during late-night sessions at the piano while drawing influence from a wide range of jazz music. "I was listening to a lot of organ trio stuff, soul jazz from the 60s, and listening to the Les McCann version of "Compared to What" a ton," says Jones. In an interview with Billboard, Jones states, "The goal was to do everything live, get really good takes...When you have great musicians there’s no reason to overdub."
There are three cover songs on Day Breaks: "Peace", originally performed by Horace Silver, "Fleurette Africaine (African Flower)", originally performed by Duke Ellington and "Don't Be Denied", originally performed by Neil Young.
In support of the album, Jones is scheduled to tour portions of North America and Europe throughout late 2016.
Promotional appearances in the media included a performance of "Flipside" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on October 5, 2016. Additionally, Jones is scheduled to perform on The Today Show on October 10, 2016.
Day Breaks was released on October 7, 2016, through Blue Note Records. At the time of its release it was made available on CD, vinyl and as a digital download. A limited edition orange vinyl was also released. Target's exclusive edition of the album contains four additional live songs.