Five

Let's get something straight right away - the five star rating in the epinions music section is over-used. It's understandable, since so many reviews are fueled by subjective opinions of favorite artists (lest anyone protest, I have this finger pointed at myself too). With the five star rating diluted so, it is difficult to attract attention to those albums that are truly deserving. However, the attempt must be made for one of my very favorite recordings...please allow me a few moments to make the case for Harry Connick, Jr.'s 20.

Ten

For those who are not familiar with Harry Connick, Jr., he is an accomplished pianist, singer, and sometime actor, known primarily by the general public for the striking resemblance of his voice to that of an early Frank Sinatra. Harry grew up in New Orleans, literally in the very center of the jazz scene, taking up the piano at age three, learning stride and jazz piano stylings from close observation of the best pianists in the city. At the age of ten, he entered the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts, and appeared on his first recording with a local band. Later, Harry moved on to New York City, where he studied at Hunter College and the Manhattan School of Music, and also became a favorite in the local clubs. CBS Records released his first major label album Harry Connick, Jr. in 1987. 20 was released in 1988, just one year before he would find public acclaim with his contributions to the soundtrack for the film When Harry Met Sally.
from artist info listed in the All Music Guide

Twenty

For me, the greatest strength of this album is that it was created just before Harry made it big with the public at large. His piano and vocal skills were already well known in jazz circles - the young upstart of New Orleans had already convinced the elders of jazz that he had chops. 20 was recorded before the demands of celebrity would influence his musical decisions - not that this would diminish his skills on later recordings, but it would certainly cause him to occasionally step away (Star Turtle, anyone?) from his first love. Though Harry would find his greatest fame in the sounds of the big band era, his greatest works have always come in the creation of his singular jazz piano style.

20 is a collection of jazz standards which Harry adapts for piano. He sings on a few songs, sometimes inserting just a few lines as if he suddenly felt energized to break out into song at that point in the music. The piano is the centerpiece of the recording, and Harry takes jazz into some very special places when he plays. As is typical of serious New Orleans jazz piano, tempo is a fluid creature, used for dynamic effect, rather than strict timekeeping. Sudden breaks, long pauses, notes shortened or extended - all of these are strewn throughout the music, meandering at a leisurely pace. There is nothing hurried about New Orleans jazz - Harry takes his time, seemingly lazy in his approach to melody or pacing, but he never loses the listener's interest. He takes familiar tunes and takes them to new places, finding new ways to transition between melodies and chords.

The album hits full stride right from the opening track - Avalon is playful and light, a terrific introduction to the rest of the material to come. Connick keeps time with his left hand in the bass chords, while his right hand flows across the upper keys in almost total disregard for the time signature. The song ends as an uptempo jazzy rag, with some fabulous octave trills and lightning fast runs up and down the keyboard.

Blue Skies begins in familiar territory, but by the second verse, Harry moves the bass ryhthm away from the beat to create an interesting counter-point against the melody. He uses this method in several places throughout the album - it is most striking on this track.

Connick accompanies his own vocal for Imagination. The Sinatra sound is there, but Harry sings in a lazy N'awlins drawl, stretching consonants, especially S and Y. He stops after a verse and chorus to launch into a piano improvisation on the melody in the middle third, until he comes back to sing the last verse and chorus.

Dr. John brings his talent for distinctive vocals and the Hammond Organ to Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans - he and Connick trade verses to start the song, before Harry turns the song over for an extended organ solo. Dr. John is one of the finest jazz organ players in the world, and he shines on this track. Connick keeps his piano playing at a respectful distance, content to punctuate the solo with bass chord hits - he learned his trade well, and he knows when to let a master have the reins. This is one of the best tracks on an album full of excellent music.

You can't be considered a real jazz musician unless Basin Street Blues is in your repertoire - this has led to literally thousands of differing recordings of this classic tune. Harry's is absolutely fabulous, though at times nearly unrecognizable in some thick chords and long meanderings through the melody, rather than on it. At the very end, he adds his voice to the mix, drawling his way through his own version of the lyrics - as the liner notes say "as I remember them" from when he learned the song.

Hoagy Carmichael's Lazy River is played in a more straightforward manner, as Harry gives it an injection of the stride sound. He speeds up to a rag tempo for some variety in the final third, before changing back to the original tempo in a much quieter tone to end the song.

Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone is the finest cut of the album - swing singer Carmen McRae sings with authority, and once again, Harry gives over the spotlight to a master. Harry takes the middle third for a piano solo, and McRae joins him at the end to scat along for a few measures. The song was recorded in just a few complete takes, the final one being the version heard here.

For Stars Fell On Alabama and S'Wonderful, Connick gives a piano bar performance - the basic songs are dressed up in jazzy chords, and infused with all of the quirky Harry-isms displayed in the album so far. Though the songs are not of lesser quality than the others, the music is restrained from breaking out of a performance mold. They're filling for the album - supporting cast for the rest of the stars on the album - it gives the listener a mental rest to prepare for what is to come in the last two songs. Song order is critical to the creation of a really good album; the flow must work, and the listener given the opportunity to keep up if the entire work is to be heard as a whole.

In an early precursor to his movie songs album Songs That I Heard, Harry gives us his own take on If I Only Had A Brain - he turns this familiar song into a meditative ballad. The piano is sparse and the vocals slow yet earnest - you can just picture Harry in a deserted club, bow tie askew, a single janitor cleaning...

The final track of the album is a tribute to Duke Ellington, one of the giants of jazz, and one of Harry's idols. Bob Hurst adds acoustic bass for Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me, and again Harry makes room for the additional musician. He keeps his hands off the bass notes in the keyboard, and lets the bass do all the talking for that voice. Connick sings a few verses, and the duo stays together for the instrumental in the middle third. It's the perfect end to the album.

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Many people are familiar with Harry Connick Jr., either as an actor, or as a crooner fronting a big band or small jazz combo. 20 is a marvelous glimpse of the artist doing what he does best - New Orleans stride and jazz piano. Every song is a jazz classic, and Connick's personal touches are perfect, never overdone or derivative. He shows wonderful command of the instrument, having learned his craft from the masters of New Orleans, and from being able to develop his talent in the stewing pot of that incredibly musical town. You don't have to know what it means to miss New Orleans to be able to appreciate this recording - this would be a terrific introduction to jazz piano for those unfamiliar with the genre. Those looking for a record that truly deserves the accolades it has been given will consider 20 a true masterpiece. Five stars are not enough to describe 20...


Harry Connick, Jr. - 20
Originally released in the US in 1988 on CBS Records
Track listing
Avalon / Blue Skies / Imagination / Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans / Basin Street Blues / Lazy River / Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone / Stars Fell On Alabama / S'Wonderful / If I Only Had A Brain / Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
Total Time 40:38
Guest Artists
Dr. John, Hammond B-3 Organ and Vocals Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans
Carmen McRae, Vocals Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
Bob Hurst, Bass Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me


Recommended: Yes