Norah Jones' recording of 'American Anthem', first featured in the documentary The War, will be released to radio in the USA for the Veteran's Day weekend.
The song was written by composer Gene Scheer and premiered in 1999 at the Smithsonian Institute when the original flag which inspired Francis Scott Key's 'Star Spangled Banner' was unveiled.Norah recorded the song in December 2006. "I was very happy to be part of the series," said Norah Jones, "and to be able to work with Ken Burns."
"Norah Jones's performance of my song, 'American Anthem,' is stunningly beautiful," said composer Gene Scheer. "I have been blessed to have some wonderful singers sing the song in the past, but her performance stands out not only for its beauty, but for the almost mystical way in which she has distilled the essence of the song. The song was meant to be a celebration of our past, but at the song's core is a sense of yearning to be a part of not just our own personal stories, but the American Story. When I wrote the song about ten years ago I could not have imagined that the distinguished director Ken Burns would one day call and ask to use the song in a film he was doing about World War II. I have been a huge fan of Burns's work and was deeply honored by his response to my song. When I saw Burns's and his co-director Lynn Novick's magnificent film, 'The War,' and heard Norah sing, 'American Anthem,' I was overwhelmed by the feeling that the song had mysteriously found its way to the right place. There is a synergy between the film and Norah's soulful, sensitive rendition, which echoes and then amplifies the simple notion from which the song was born: We are in this together."
The 15 hour, 7 part series 'The War' premiered in PBS in September 2007.
