Search - Harry Connick Jr. :: Your Songs (Special Edition with Bonus Track, "Killing Me Softly With His Song")

A Lovely Work of Art

Rebecca*rhapsodyinblue* | CA USA | 08/16/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Harry Connick, Jr.'s newest album, "Your Songs," was nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album in 2010 Grammy Awards. Although it did not bag the award, it is definitely a winner and one of his most remarkable recordings to date. Harry Connick, Jr. possesses one of the most impressive voices I have ever heard in my entire musical adventure. His voice is very distinctive and his style is so unique. But I do believe his very best recording that will earn him another Grammy Award is yet to come!



What's not to love about this album? Nothing! Everything about it is so endearing to the ears. It is a lovely work of art! The material is a mixture of old and new songs from the pens of Kern and Fields; Rodgers and Hammerstein; Cahn and Van Heusen; Livingston and Evans; Hal and David; Lennon and McCartney, from among other brilliant songwriters represented here. As with all of his albums, the music is freshly and stylishly arranged, orchestrated and conducted by Harry Connick, Jr., who himself is such a talented person and has quite a number of titles to add to his renowned name --an award-winning, exceptional singer/musician/arranger/composer/conductor, a Broadway and Hollywood actor, and not to mention several gold and multi-platinum albums that he recorded in the course of his musical career.



I've had this CD since it first came out in 2009, but was just waiting for the right time to write about it in all its splendour. Maybe what triggered and moved my spirit-to-write was after watching his live concert two nights ago, August 13, 2010. It was a birthday treat from two of my BFFs--a concert/picnic at the Hollywood Bowl considering that I do appreciate concert tickets and music CDs more than any material things for birthday presents. We watched the first of two series of concerts. It was one of the most unforgettable concerts I've ever seen. It stayed interesting from the first song to the last. His top-notch performances not only showed his fine vocal art, but also his flair in arranging, orchestrating, conducting and his being a multi-instrumentalist. And oh not to mention his dancing prowess as well, which he demonstrated with gusto to the delight of the responsive, adoring audience while performing some signature New Orleans songs on the entire second part of the concert. It reminds me so much of the Ragtime Band and Dixieland sound.



This CD is so special by itself, but what made it more beguiling is the presence of two of the most respected musicians in the jazz scene of today, the talented Marsalis Brothers. Branford Marsalis does an enchanting tenor sax solo on the opener and all-time favorite, "All The Way" while Wynton Marsalis demonstrates his magnificent trumpet solos on "Can't Help Falling In Love With You" and "Who Can I Turn To."



Mr. Connick has recorded a fabulous version with Big Band arrangement of a classic Spanish love song, "Besame Mucho." And like "The Way You Look Tonight" "All The Way," "Can't Help Falling In Love With You" and "Smile," this particular song is also worthy of repeated listening. But what ultimately blown me away was his take on "Mona Lisa." It is an easy favorite and one of the most beautiful versions of this classic of a song. It features a charming solo by Jerry Weldon on tenor sax.



This CD is truly a warm, sweet and lovely work of art. With my heartfelt recommendation!"