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Connick works his cool
By GINA VIVINETTO TAMPA -- Harry Connick Jr. brought a bit of New Orleans sass to the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center on Monday. The 34-year-old crooner and piano player treated a couple thousand fans to tunes both old and new. Several of them, including Connick's encore Mardi Gras In New Orleans, celebrated his beloved Crescent City hometown.
Connick's singing is Sinatraesque in its detached cool. He's unsentimental, letting the lyrics do the emoting, and it works. In The Still Of The Night sounded fine and peppery with a bit of Latin shuffle, courtesy of impeccable drummer Arthur Latin. Connick's stage set was wintery, with frosty blue and lavender lighting, adding to the charm of his swingy rendition of the Christmas song Sleigh Ride. Connick's knack for impromptu humor made his stage patter as enjoyable as his music. The star joked with audience members, encouraging two to move up to better seats. He said he regretted he had no time on this visit to dine at Bern's Steak House, "a favorite joint." Some Day (You'll Be Sorry) found Connick friskily soft-shoeing across the stage. The heartbreaking ballad I'll Only Miss Her (When I Think Of Her) featured just Connick's vocal dusted by James Greene's powdery sax. Connick's piano playing sizzled on Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious -- yes, the Mary Poppins tune. It's featured on Songs I Heard, one of Connick's two new albums. That album contains Connick's renditions of children's songs. (The singer rued that he had forgotten the lyrics Monday to Oompa Loompa from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.) Fans also got to hear a breathtaking Over The Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz, with Connick accompanied just by Jonathan DuBose's electric guitar, and The Jitterbug, a song axed from the movie's soundtrack. Come By Me had Connick again at the piano, showing off his chops. His facility is amazing; at times Connick sounds as economical and elegant as the late John Lewis, only to later trip you up with askew chords ringing in the memory of Thelonious Monk. The night ended with Connick and two members of his big band shimmying their behinds in a carefree romp as other members of the band took turns soloing. -- To contact Gina Vivinetto, e-mail gina@sptimes.com.
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