I was perusing DrumForum.org, with iTunes playing in shuffle mode in the background. Harry Connick’s “Jill” came on. I stopped, turned up the volume, closed my eyes, and listened…
“I know a girl
Who says she loves me
She says she needs me
And I have reason to believe her
Good reason
Like when we kiss
My eyes won’t open…”
Dear Lord, let me one day write something that good. And I love the recording too. The sax player, Jerry something or other, is so deep in it it almost makes me cry. And the band… The band is in a room. You can hear the room. It’s almost like they’re recording the whole thing live, with Harry and his vocal close mic’d, and then almost like the band is just behind him, pouring themselves into the tune.
Hey, here’s something special for you. Here’s the tune. Take a listen. The bandwidth is on me. If you like, go out and buy the album. (I liked the album so much, I bought the concert DVD!)
Denise Moore
The sax player is Jerry Weldon and he still works with Harry. Blue Light Red Light is an incredible album and, I think, Harry’s best. “With Imagination,” “She Belongs to Me,” and the frenetic “Just Kiss Me” are pure genius!
Billy Rhythm
Yes, Jerry Weldon. On the New York concert, he takes another solo, I think it’s in “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.” Jerry plays with all the breath of Stan Getz. It’s a lovely sound. I’m with you about the album, too. I own probably 1/2 a dozen of his albums, and it’s by far my favorite.