Harry Connick, Jr Harry For The Holidays CD

This is a Hyper CD, which contains regular audio tracks and also provides a link to the artist's website with the help of a web browser.

Instead of a straightforward take on an assortment of seasonal classics, Harry Connick, Jr. decided to make HARRY FOR THE HOLIDAYS, his second Christmas album in a decade, more of a swinging affair, thanks to his use of unorthodox arrangements. Sure, there's enough lush orchestrations on songs like "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and more secular fare like "Nature Boy" to make Nelson Riddle blush, but Connick does spice things up.

"Frosty the Snowman" turns into a brassy rhumba and the "Christmas Waltz" benefits from the kind of West Coast, cool time changes that you'd expect to hear on a Dave Brubeck outing. This New Orleans native also gives a nod to fellow southerner Elvis Presley by way of a crooned reading of "Blue Christmas" and country legend George Jones even gets recruited for the countrypolitan Connick-penned "Nothin' New for New Year." Other originals like the New Orleans funkified "Happy Elf" and the orchestral gem "I Come with Love" fare well alongside a snappy version of "Silver Bells" and an cover of Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas" featuring Meters' guitarist Leo Nocentelli and a gospel choir. Connick's fresh approach to seasonal music will make you glad to join HARRY FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

Additional Tracks

Recorded at Capitol Studios, Los Angeles, California between May 13 & 22, 2003.

Personnel: Harry Connick, Jr. (vocals, piano, bass, drums); George Jones (vocals); Charles "Ned" Goold, James Greene (alto saxophone); Jerry Weldon, Mike Karn (tenor saxophone); Dave Schumacher (baritone saxophone); Roger Ingram, Derrick Gardner, Leroy Jones, Joe Magnarelli (trumpet); Mark Mullins, Craig Klein, Lucien Barbarin, John Allred (trombone); Joe Barati (bass trombone); Biff Watson, Leo Nocentelli, George Doering (guitar); Paul Franklin (pedal steel).

Personnel: Harry Connick, Jr. (vocals, piano, drums); George Jones (vocals); Biff Watson, George Doering, Leo Nocentelli (guitar); James Greene, Ned Goold (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Mike Kam, Jerry Weldon (tenor saxophone); David Schumacher (baritone saxophone); Derrick Gardner, Joe Magnarelli, Leroy Jones, Roger Ingram (trumpet); John Alfred, Craig Klein, Lucien Barbarin, Mark Mullins (trombone); Joe Barati (bass trombone); Phil Frazier (tuba); Arthur Latin (drums).

Audio Mixer: Gregg Rubin.

Recording information: Capitol studios, Los Angeles, CA (05/13/2003-05/22/2003); Starstruck, Nashville, TN (05/13/2003-05/22/2003).

Photographers: Scott Landis; Sam Jones.

Arranger: Harry Connick, Jr.

This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.Mojo (Publisher) (p.112) - 4 stars out of 5 - "Harry's second seasonal effort is actually rather superb."