In 2002, Norah Jones altered folk singer Jesse Harris' "Don't Know Why" into a sweet, jazz-pop tune on her debut album, Come Away With Me, earning Jones her first GRAMMY Awards for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Fast forward to 2023, musical group Phony Ppl offers a modern twist on Jones' iconic cover in this episode of ReImagined, transforming the hit into a progressive R&B track. Lead singer Elbee Thrie stands centered at the microphone while the four other members — Bari Bass, Matt Byas, Aja Grant, and Elijah Rawk — accompany him in a recording studio.
Phony Ppl have covered countless classics in their 13 years together, including their recent R&B interpretation of Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" for YouTube's 12 Days of Music holiday series. But the quintet has built a cult following online for their genre-bending original music as well, releasing their latest album, Euphonyus, in November.
Coming up, Phony Ppl will make appearances at Memphis' Beale Street Music Festival in May and New York's Governor's Ball in June.
Press play on the video above to listen to Phony Ppl's complete performance of "Don't Know Why," and keep checking GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of ReImagined.
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