“A cover album featuring a collaboration between Harry Connick, Jr. and legendary music producer Clive Davis. The best cover album by Harry featuring covers of popular songs originally sung by Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole and even songs sung by The Beatles, Billy Joel, Elton John, Roberta Flack and more. Definitely recommended!”
ARTIST: Harry Connick, Jr.
ALBUM: Your Songs (Digital Version)
LABEL: Columbia
DURATION: 49:37
RELEASE DATE: September 22, 2009
- All the Way
- Just the Way You Are
- Can’t Help Falling in Love With You
- And I Love Her
- (They Long to Be) Close to You
- Besame Mucho (Kiss Me Much)
- The Way You Look Tonight
- First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
- Your Song
- Some Enchanted Evening
- And I Love You So
- Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)
- Smile
- Mona Lisa
NOTE: In different countries, the album has additional tracks which include “Killing Me Softly”, or “And I Love Her” (with Carla Bruni) and in Japan, “Killing Me Softly”, “Who’s Sorry Now” and “Answer Me My Love”.
I can easily remember my first introduction to Harry Connick, Jr.’s music and that was through the film “When Harry Met Sally” back in 1989. Needless to say, I’ve been a big fan of Harry since that release, buying every jazz or funk album he had release, catching his live shows and even purchasing his videos on VHS and LD’s and needless to say, with each release, I’ve always enjoyed his music.
With the release of “Your Songs”, the album features a collaboration with Harry and well-known record producer Clive Davis. The songs are classics that were chosen by Clive Davis and arranged by Harry.
Favorites of mine on the album include “All the Way” by Frank Sinatra and written by James Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn features a collaboration with Harry and Branford Marsalis. A beautifully arranged track with a good touch of brass and strings made even more smoother with Harry’s vocals.
A cover of the popular song “Smile” which I enjoyed Nat King Cole’s version (written by Charlie Chaplin, John Turner, Geoffrey Parsons) but Harry manages to bring another dimension to the song courtesy of its featuring a beautiful arrangement and another Nat King Cole favorite of mine is “Mona Lisa (written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans) with its piano accompaniment and beautiful strings in the background and a good touch of brass.
Other covers that are also well done include “Just the Way You Are”, a cover of the popular Billy Joel song; Connick’s cover of Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love With You” (written by George David Weiss, Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore) and a collaboration with Wynton Marsalis; a cover of the Beatles song “And I Love Her” (written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon); a cover of the popular song “(They Long to Be) Close to You” by the Carpenters (written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David); a cover of Consuelo Velsquez’s “Besame Mucho”; a cover of Frank Sinatra’s “The Way You Look Tonight”; a cover of “Some Enchanted Evening” sung by Frank Sinatra and Perry Como (written by Oscar Hammerstein and Richard Rodgers); a beautiful cover of Don McLean’s “And I Love You So” (which was sung also by Perry Como) and a cover of “Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)” sung by Tony Bennett (written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley).
Some covers, I found to be OK is Harry’s covers of “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” which I can’t see anyone singing the song but Roberta Flack and “Your Song” by Elton John.
But overall, this is a very good cover album. We have had cover albums from Harry Connick, Jr. before. But this has to be the best one release in his long career of releases thus far. It’s one thing to have Harry Connick, Jr.’s beautiful vocals but the arrangement on the album is top notch. Great collaboration once again with Branford and Wynton Marsalis but also with the brass courtesy of Leroy Jones, Roger Ingram, Wayne Bergeron, Warren Lunning and John Fumo. And of course, you have to give it up for Harry’s big band and the string orchestra.
Overall, “Your Songs” is another Harry Connick, Jr. album that is definitely recommended!
