Jazz

Harry Connick Jr – Blue Light, Red Light (1991)

2009-10-16T20:43:35Z

Harry Connick Jr – Blue Light, Red Light (1991)


1.	"Blue Light, Red Light (Someone's There)" (Harry Connick Jr, Ramsey McLean) – 3:31
2.	"A Blessing And A Curse" (Connick, McLean) – 3:06
3.	"You Didn't Know Me When" (Connick, McLean) – 3:13
4.	"Jill" (Connick) – 6:13
5.	"He Is They Are" (Connick) – 4:15
6.	"With Imagination, I'll Get There" (Connick, McLean) – 5:01
7.	"If I Could Give You More" (Connick, McLean) – 4:49
8.	"The Last Payday" (Connick, McLean) – 7:16
9.	"It's Time" (Connick, McLean) – 6:38
10.	"She Belongs To Me" (Connick) – 3:57
11.	"Sonny Cried" (Connick, McLean) – 5:46
12.	"Just Kiss Me" (Connick) – 4:53

•	Harry Connick Jr. - Piano, vocals
•	Brad Leali - Alto Sax
•	Will Campbell - Alto Sax
•	Jerry Weldon - Tenor Sax
•	Ned Goold - Tenor Sax
•	David Schumacher - Bari Sax, Bass Clarinet, Flute
•	Louis Ford - Clarinet
•	Mark Mullins - Trombone
•	Craig Klein - Trombone
•	Lucien Barbarin - Trombone, Sousaphone
•	Joe Barati - Bass Trombone
•	Roger Ingram - Trumpet
•	Dan Miller - Trumpet
•	Leroy Jones - Trumpet
•	Jeremy Davenport - Trumpet
•	Russell Malone - Guitar
•	Benjamin Jonah Wolfe - Bass
•	Shannon Powell - drums

In 1991 Harry Connick, Jr. toured with a big band. Unfortunately the presence of the orchestra seemed to result in an inflated ego, for Connick rarely allowed his sidemen an opportunity to be featured. On this forgettable CD he wrote all 12 selections (none of which caught on) and mostly uses the big band as a prop behind his Frank Sinatra-inspired vocals. Connick's piano playing is greatly de-emphasized and, although there are some names among the backup players (particularly guitarist Russell Malone and, buried in the trumpet section, Leroy Jones), the show is for better or worse (mostly the latter) a showcase for Harry Connick; so what was the purpose of hiring 14 horns? ---Scott Yanow, Rovi

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Harry Connick Jr – Come By Me (1999)

2009-10-16T20:45:15Z

Harry Connick Jr – Come By Me (1999)


1. Nowhere With Love 
2. Come by Me 
3. Charade 
4. Change Partners 
5. Easy for You to Say 
6. Time After Time 
7. Next Door Blues [Instrumental] 
8. Easy to Love 
9. There's No Business Like Show Business 
10. Moment With Me 
11. Danny Boy 
12. Cry Me a River 
13. Love for Sale

By 1999, Harry Connick, Jr. found himself in a curious place. Undoubtedly, he was one of the artists that kick-started the whole neo-swing movement that peaked in the late '90s. However, he was always too serious and traditional -- too much of a musician, really -- to fit in with the likes of the Cherry Poppin' Daddies. Furthermore, he was too much of a veteran. When he was reviving swing, it was in the late '80s, when nobody else believed it could be hip again. Surely, he must have been a little irked when he saw legions of groups that were nowhere near as musically fluent or as knowledgeable as he was cultivate huge followings. So, there was only one solution -- return to big-band swing, after years of attempting some sort of amorphous New Orleans funk and R&B. Of course, he'd probably be offended if anyone suggested that Come by Me was actually a response to neo-swing, but it's easy to interpret it that way, especially since he shows what the younger swing groups are missing. Connick knows what makes big bands work. He makes the classics sound fresh and newer songs sound like classics. More importantly, age suits him well; he no longer sounds like a young kid singing his father's music, he sounds natural and inspired. True, he occasionally sounds a bit too close to Sinatra for some tastes, but at least he can really sing, along with knowing how to make a big band swing, which, ironically, not all neo-swing acts can do. That alone makes Come by Me a welcome comeback. ---Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

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Harry Connick, Jr. – Music from The Happy Elf (2011)

2011-10-11T18:33:56Z

Harry Connick, Jr. – Music from The Happy Elf (2011)

01 – The Happy Elf Read-Along 02 – The Happy Elf 03 – Santarrific 04 – Naughty Children of Bluesville 05 – Bluesville 06 – The What Song 07 – The PH Song
play 08 – Two Scoops of Christmas 09 – The Magic Hat 10 – Operation Yule Tide Turning

play 11 – Christmas Day 12 – What A Night 13 – Gotta Be On My Way Musicians: Neal Caine Bass Harry Connick, Jr. Composer, Narrator, Piano Arthur Latin Drums

"The Happy Elf" is just one of many numbers that Harry Connick, Jr. dished out on Harry For The Holidays (Sony/Columbia, 2003), but this particular song proved to be the seed for cross-marketing manna, which makes it a microcosm of the man himself. Connick has crooned his way into the hearts of millions, proven himself on piano time and again, conquered the silver screen, and taken Broadway by storm, but his most heartwarming talent may be that of "children's entertainer."

The opening track, which puts the music in the background and Connick's Read-Along narration of his book in the foreground, highlights this new found role for the entertainer par excellence, but his piano takes its rightful place at center stage on the rest of the album. While this ten-minute tale may have worked better as a bonus track on the tail end of the album, it provides useful background on the origins of some song titles that follow. "The Magic Hat," which the protagonist uses to travel between the North Pole and Bluesville, features some wonderful N'awlins music, Eubie himself is depicted as an ebullient figure ("The Happy Elf") who puts others before himself, the "Naughty Children Of Bluesville" are introduced with drummer Arthur Latin's Gene Krupa-inspired floor tom work, and the town is brought into full view with a bass introduction from Neal Caine.

While many of the strongest performances, like "The PH Song," which has traces of "It's Only A Paper Moon" in its melodic DNA, and "Santarrific," which possesses an Duke Ellington-like bearing, despite its barroom undercurrent, have little overt connection to Christmas, two pieces at the end of the program fit well with the theme. "Christmas Day" has a calming melody that's ready to be soaked in by the fireplace, and "Gotta Be On My Way" sounds like "Winter Wonderland" as viewed upside down through a twisted, Thelonious Monk-ish prism.

While this album can be alternately viewed as a companion piece to the book, a standalone piano trio outing, or a friendly Christmas offering, the important fact is that it puts Connick behind the piano once again, which is cause for celebration in and of itself. ---Dan Bilawsky, allaboutjazz.com

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