Puss N Boots: Breathing New Life Into Country Rock Classics

It's easy for an old tune to get stale. For Puss N Boots, a country-roots trio made up of all-stars Norah Jones, Catherine Popper, and Sasha Dobson, the fun is to breathe new life into country-rock classics alongside carefully chosen originals. They do just that on their debut album No Fools, No Fun (out July 15). The record features five original songs and seven cover songs made famous by Neil Young, George Jones, Johnny Cash, and more.

The members of the trio already have plenty of critical acclaim as individual musicians; many remember Grammy winner Jones' debut record Come Away With Me (2002) and the global phenomenon that followed it, or have seen bassist Popper play with Grace Potter and the Nocturnals on tour. Dobson has released multiple jazz recordings and recently finished up opening for Willie Nelson on some early 2014 tour dates.

However, seasoned as they may be, the trio began as a way to try new things. The group formed after Jones began playing at small Brooklyn venues in order to practice guitar, with the help of Dobson. Eventually they were joined by Popper, and the three began pushing each other to expand creatively; each member has tried a new instrument or debuted a song since forming the group, and the trio has been able to take risks onstage. To capture this, the record is chosen from live repertoire that they've been establishing for years. 

Norah Jones performs with Puss N' Boots in the Soundcheck studio. (Michael Katzif / WNYC)

For more photos, visit Soundcheck's Tumblr page.

Set List: 

• "Sex Degrees Of Separation"
• "Always"
• "Don't Know What It Means"