Harry Connick Jr Occasions: Connick on Piano Vol. 2 Review
My experiences with Harry Connick Jr.’s albums weren’t
exactly pleasant. The first time I heard his songs was from Harry for
Holidays, and I thought the arrangements were hopelessly cheesy. His more
famous album When Harry Met Sally (which also happens to be his debut
album), while better, didn’t exactly send any sparks flying. So I was almost
ready to give up trying to admire Harry Connick Jr.’s work and to contend that,
despite achieving commercial success, his music just isn’t my type.
His Occasions: Connick on Piano Vol. 2 album was
going to either salvage my hopes of liking his songs or turn me away from his
discography for good.
Guess what? I’m pleasantly surprised!
Unlike most of Harry Connick Jr’s other albums, Occasions
finds him NOT doing any vocals, and instead playing the piano while Branford
Marsalis teeters between tenor and soprano saxophone.
The songs are minimalists. Most of them are played from slow
to moderate tempo, and they never really build up. There aren’t many hooks that
would make me pause from whatever I am doing either. The end result is that the
entire works aren’t particularly memorable (although I’ll definitely remember
the moods they put me on), and most songs are not distinct from each
other.
Normally, I would chastise an album that merely achieves as
a good enough background music; in this case, I’m willing to make an exception.
Why? This is largely because the music is unrelentingly intimate and beautiful.
This is, of course, all thanks to the duo’s chemistry. There are very few albums I could think of that are better suited for a
romantic evening than this one.
Another reason is because I can obviously see that both
artists – Harry and Branford – have put much heart into this album; especially
since each of them contribute their own original compositions (all heard first
on this recording), and that none of the tracks are covers of standards or
popular songs. In a genre where a lot of other artists are content in merely
(sometimes lazily) interpreting standards, it is refreshing to see an artist –
make that two – actually use their creativity for a change. I find myself very
much appreciating what they were trying to do, and I am wholeheartedly
recommending this album to everyone. Score: 4 out of 5.
