Harry Connick, Jr - In Concert on Broadway CD

In Concert on Broadway songs Any doubts about the incongruity of jazz icon Herbie Hancock covering singer-songwriter extraordinare Joni Mitchell will be obliterated on the first journey through RIVER: THE JONI LETTERS. For starters, the premise is not especially incongruous. Hancock has had a long, adventurous career in which he's traversed genres and masterfully blended styles, while Mitchell has always been deeply influenced by jazz as both a composer and a singer. RIVER features many of Mitchell's finest songs, stunning in their own right and reinterpreted beautifully by Hancock, plus a stellar assortment of musicians and guest vocalists. Mitchell's pop and folk tendencies have been assimilated into the arrangements; the album plays like a vocal jazz outing. Hancock is joined by fellow Miles Davis alums Wayne Shorter and Dave Holland, among others, and the guest vocalists include Norah Jones, Tina Turner, Corinne Bailey Rae, Leonard Cohen, and--on one track--Mitchell herself. Sophisticated, soulful, and gorgeous, RIVER is a must for fans of Mitchell, classic jazz, adult contemporary artists like Norah Jones--and, well, just about everyone. Audio Mixer: Helix Hadar. Recording information: 600ft., Yorkshire, England (2006-2007); Avatar Studios, New York, NY (2006-2007); NJP Tonstudio, Zurich, Switzerland (2006-2007); Ocean Way Recording, Los Angeles, CA (2006-2007). Photographer: Kwaku Alston. Personnel: Herbie Hancock (piano); Wayne Shorter (soprano, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Lionel Loueke (guitar); Dave Holland (bass guitar); Vinnie Colaiuta (drums). Additional personnel: Corinne Bailey Rae, Joni Mitchell, Norah Jones, Tina Turner, Leonard Cohen, ...

In Concert on Broadway buy CD music Much like 2001's SONGS I HEARD and 2004's ONLY YOU, 2009's YOUR SONGS finds vocalist/pianist Harry Connick, Jr. coming up with an urbane, passionate set of American popular standards and contemporary pop classics that he both performs and orchestrates. While his previous recordings leaned toward the classicist side--ONLY YOU featured songs of the '50s and '60s--YOUR SONGS features a more eclectic mix of standards and pop songs, with Connick's own lush orchestration lending an overall aesthetic of languid romanticism. To this end, Connick turns Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are" into a kind of Herb Alpert-inspired '60s pop nugget and, conversely, the Beatles' 1964 classic "And I Love Her" gets a kind of '70s Latin lounge feel with classical guitar flourishes. However, Connick isn't only concerned with reworking tunes in unexpected ways; on the contrary, longtime fans of Connick's swinging neo-crooner vocals will be pleasantly surprised by his straightforward takes on "The Way You Look Tonight" and "Some Enchanted Evening." Similarly engaging are his renditions of such rock-oriented tunes as Elton John's "Your Song," his low-key version of Don McLean's "And I Love You So," and the Carpenters' "(They Long to Be) Close to You." Ultimately, YOUR SONG is a classy and feel-good stroll of an album. Recording information: Capitol Studios, Hollywood, CA; The Music Shed, New Orleans, LA. Photographer: Palma Kolansky. Arranger: Harry Connick, Jr. Personnel: Harry Connick, Jr. (vocals, piano); George Doering, Bryan Sutton (guitar); Geoff Burke, Ned Goold, Bill Liston (alto saxophone); Ernie Watts, Jerry Weldon, Branford Marsalis, Mike Karn (tenor saxophone); Greg Huckins (baritone saxophone); Dave Smith , Joe Magnarelli, John Eckert, Warren Luening, Wayne Bergeron, Wynton Marsalis, Tony Kadleck, John Fumo, Roger Ingram (trumpet); Jeff Bush, Steven Holtman, Andy Martin, Dion Tucker, William Frank "Bill" Reichenbach Jr. (trombone); Joe Barati (bass trombone); Dan Higgins (drums, percussion). Audio Mixer: Vincent Caro .

In Concert on Broadway album for sale The Chicago jazz vocalist Kurt Elling shows his musical depth in this after-hours set, which features inspired re-workings of songs by a varied selection of artists, including Frank Sinatra, Irving Berlin, Betty Carter, and the Guess Who. In a further display of his wide-ranging artistry, Elling also performs musical settings of poems by Walt Whitman and Theodore Roethke, as well as adding his own lyrics to a version of "Body and Soul," and pairing lines by the 13th-century Persian poet Rumi with a little-known Duke Ellington composition, "I Like the Sunrise." Personnel: Kurt Elling (vocals).

In Concert on Broadway CD music Naturally, there is a healthy dose of old school jazz and swing here, with treatments of "Hello Dolly" and "Won't You Come Home, Bill Bailey?" that do their best to conjure the ghost of Louis Armstrong strolling down Decatur. Connick does spry, spirited versions of the Allen Toussaint classics "Working in a Coal Mine" and "Yes We Can," keeping the feel brash and funky, while his originals (which are explicitly about New Orleans) blend surprisingly well with these gems. It's Connick's way of adding his name to the legacy, a gesture that gives the set a personal, poignant touch. Along with the Marsalis brothers, Harry Connick Jr. is one of the best known late-20th-century musicians associated with New Orleans. OH, MY NOLA is Connick's letter of love and hope to the city post-Katrina, and he spins through the Big Easy's songs and styles with a spirit that is equal parts nostalgia, heartbreak, and celebration. Personnel: Harry Connick, Jr. (vocals, piano, organ); James Greene, Charles "Ned" Goold (alto saxophone); Jerry Weldon, Mike Karn (tenor saxophone); David Schumacher (baritone saxophone); Roger Ingram (trumpet, flugelhorn); Derrick Gardner (trumpet); Neal Caine (bass instrument); Arthur Latin (drums, percussion).

In Concert on Broadway buy CD music Harry Connick Jr. has no shortage of musical credibility, not least because of his writing and arranging skills (which often take a backseat to his better-known skills as a singer and pianist). CHANSON DU VIEUX, a 2007 album that coincided with the release of OH, MY NOLA, takes on New Orleans through the lens of post-Hurricane Katrina trauma, yet, like its counterpart, is equal parts history lesson and joyous celebration. Connick doesn't sing here; instead he arranges a host of classic N'awlins gems (from the likes of Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, and Professor Longhair) for big band, while adding tasteful accompaniment on piano. Exciting charts, superior musicianship, and a deep love of the Big Easy drive this fun release. Personnel: Harry Connick, Jr. (piano); James Greene, Charles "Ned" Goold (alto saxophone); Jerry Weldon, Mike Karn (tenor saxophone); David Schumacher (baritone saxophone); Derrick Gardner, Joe Magnarelli, Leroy Jones, Roger Ingram (trumpet); Craig Klein, John Allred, Lucien Barbarin, Mark Mullins (trombone); Joe Barati (bass trombone); Neal Caine (bass instrument); Arthur Latin (drums).

In Concert on Broadway songs Piano duo recordings can be a tricky thing: finding a balance that allows each musician to shine while simultaneously keeping in mind that it is a collaborative affair can result either in a seamless piece of cooperative music-making, or a battle of egos that benefits no one. Fortunately, this falls into the former category. With accompaniment by bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Willie Jones III, Reed and Chestnut are sympathetic players who know when to step forward, when to hold back, and when to meet in the middle. Although seven years apart in age (Chestnut being the older), Reed and Chestnut share somewhat similar backgrounds: both are from large East Coast cities, both began their musical instruction at a very young age via their fathers, and both have gospel training in their backgrounds. That common ground gives them not so much similar styles as an understanding of where the other is rooted, and as they burrow deeper into each of the pieces here -- drawn from a trio of live gigs at New York's Dizzy's club -- there are many times when it's near impossible to tell that two pianists are playing, let alone who's doing what -- although the mix separates Reed and Chestnut by placing one in the left channel and the other in the right, one would have to be extremely fine-tuned to the nuances of each musician's playing to pick them out had the engineer not made it easier. The set consists of standards (a spry "I'll Remember April" opens it), a couple of jazz classics (a rousing version of Duke Ellington's "It Don't Mean a Thing if It Ain't Got That Swing"), and a couple of gospel-themed tunes played solo -- the classic "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing," featuring only Chestnut, and Reed's "Prayer." That the pianistry is exemplary throughout goes without saying, but these two fine musicians and their accompanists elevate their meeting into something greater. ~ Jeff Tamarkin Liner Note Authors: Cyrus Chestnut; Eric Reed; Russ Musto. Recording information: Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, Jazz, Lincoln Center, NY (03/07/2009). Photographer: Frank Stewart. Personnel: Cyrus Chestnut (piano); Eric Reed (piano); Willie Jones III (drums). Audio Mixer: Katherine Miller.