After working for one holiday season in a mall as a teenager, I swore off canned Christmas music. Instead, I've done my best to find funny or alternative ways to get into the Christmas groove. Harry Connick, Jr. has a heart of swing and can invigorate even stale holiday standards.
Going all the way back to the 1989 movie soundtrack for When Harry Met Sally, he included a Christmas tune amidst the other amazing songs on that album. His jazzy version of "Winter Wonderland" on piano will forever be a classic in my book.
Then in 1993, he released When My Heart Finds Christmas, which immediately added a few new classics to my alternative Christmas collection. including "When My Heart Finds Christmas" and "(It Must've Been Ol') Santa Claus". And again, he brought a jazzy swing to a number of stale standards such as "The Little Drummer Boy" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."
Once more in 2003, he released Harry for the Holidays, where he duplicated the success of When My Heart Finds Christmas by mixing old and new. On this one, he did great versions of "Silver Bells" and "Silent Night" while adding new songs like "The Happy Elf" and "Nothin New For New Year."
Now in 2008, he's released a third CD of Christmas music entitled What a Night! A Christmas Album. Again, he's bringing a few songs back to life by jazzing up the oldies, and adding his own to the mix.
What a Night! A Christmas Album includes standards such as "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," "Holly Jolly Christmas," and "O Come All Ye Faithful" and even features his daughter Sara Kate (now 11), who does a great job with a jazzy version of "Winter Wonderland" with her Dad. (Funny enough, I think I like Sara Kate's version better than Harry's!)
Article comments