Norah Jones [ tickets ] and band delivered about 90 minutes of sometimes stark, occasionally gorgeous material on Friday (6/22) that showcased how far Jones has developed as a storyteller and bandleader.

Jones became an unexpected star five years ago when her debut album, "Come Away With Me," surged to the top of album charts while her flagship single, "Don't Know Why," became a fixture on several flavors of radio playlists. The ensuing spotlight produced a live performer that was quick with a fleeting, uneasy smile and prone to little chatter from the stage--a club act suddenly thrust in front of thousands.

Those growing pains were nowhere in existence in front of some 4,000 fans at Santa Barbara's outdoor amphitheatre, the County Bowl. Where past-tour Jones tended to remain planted behind the piano, today's Norah was up and around the stage constantly, quick with a joke and plenty of back-and-forth banter with a vocal set of fans in the front sections.

Her older material is getting a re-think on the new tour as well, with Jones playing about half the show on electric or acoustic guitar, and virtually re-building several songs around the recognizable words and melodies at their core. As an example, Jones has opened this tour with a re-worked version of "Come Away With Me," starting with just her on guitar (video available here). The result is a little bluesy, a vast leap from the vibe of the original, but still true to the song. Jones' treatment of the vocal makes it a journey worth taking, which proved to be case with her musical adventures throughout the evening.

The material on Jones' latest collection, "Not Too Late," is seen in some quarters as perhaps more personal than her previous works, because its subject matter sometimes strays from her previous comfort zone of romance--or lack of romance. With songs like "My Dear Country" and "Sinking Soon" taking not-so-subtle swipes at leaders that resemble the current president of the US, Jones appears to be testing the waters for audience reaction to a broader range of subject matter.

The raucous response to "My Dear Country" on Friday certainly bodes well for more wanderings away from the well in the future.

Sonically, Friday's show was impeccable. Jones and band were in fine form, and the mix played up easily lost nuances from her talented sidemen (and woman) in exquisite detail, adding to the sense that even outdoors with 4,000 people, this was just the way you'd hear this band if they were in a small club.

Opener M. Ward joined Jones for a couple of songs near the end of the set, helping spin "Creepin' In" into a jangly, bouncy whirlwind. In the final several songs of the set, Jones covered the likes of Willie Nelson, Townes Van Zandt (with a version of "For the Sake of the Song" that was noteworthy in its gracefulness) and Tom Waits, finishing up the final encore with her take on "The Long Way Home," from her "Feels Like Home" album.

That Jones can revel in the work of such a strong set of artists and still make each story her own when she tells it says a lot about the strength of her craft as a performer. By all evidence, this is a journey that's got a lot of fuel in the tank, and whatever happens with her recording career, she's got the live chops to keep her evolving act on the road as long as she wants.