30

1	I'm Walkin' 2:48
2	Chattanooga Choo Choo 3:39
3	Somewhere My Love 7:09
4	The Gypsy 5:31
5	If I Were a Bell 6:55
6	Way Down Yonder in New Orleans 3:45
7	Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Ole Oak Tree 4:10
8	There Is Always One More Time 3:52
9	New Orleans 4:01
10	Speak Softly Love 4:02
11	Junco Partner 6:10
12	Don't Fence Me In 3:58
13	Don't Like Goodbyes 3:20
14	I'll Only Miss Her When I Think of Her 8:51

Barnes & Noble

Harry Connick Jr. may be most famous as a singer and film actor, but he’s also an accomplished jazz pianist, and it’s that talent he aims to spotlight on 30. There are tracks that display Connick’s smooth vocalizing backed solely by his own adroit self-accompaniment -- “I’m Walkin’," “The Gypsy,” “ Way Down Yonder in New Orleans,” “Junco Partner,” “Don’t Fence Me In,” “Don’t Like Goodbyes,” “If I Were a Bell,” and “I’ll Only Miss Her (When I Think of Her”) -- but the rest feature Connick’s rhythmically dexterous solo piano playing. (He’s joined by Ben Wolfe's bass on “If I Were a Bell,” and Rev. James Moore's stirring vocal and organ work on “There Is Always More Time”; trumpeter Wynton Marsalis also slips in a tasty solo and obbligato on “I’ll Only Miss Her (When I Think of Her”), nearly eclipsing his host in the process. Connick makes a witty piano stylist, ever aware of how unpredictable rhythms and crafty phrasing can enliven a performance. As fleet on “Chatanoooga Choo Choo” as he is sly on “If I Were a Bell,” Connick charms as an instrumentalist. His singing, no surprise, is equally compelling. William Pearl

All Music Guide

Harry Connick, Jr.'s 30 was recorded during 1997 around the time of his 30th birthday, though it wasn't released until shortly after his 34th birthday in 2001. Primarily a solo release featuring his piano and vocals, Connick returns to his jazz roots with a vengeance, though he doesn't stick exclusively to jazz repertoire; examples include his down-home vocals accompanying a strutting take of Fats Domino's "I'm Walkin'," a campy, Monk-like waltz treatment of "Somewhere My Love (Lara's Theme)" (from the film Dr. Zhivago), and an imaginative reworking of the usually nauseating pop hit "Tie a Yellow Ribbon." Connick salutes Louis Armstrong by singing and playing "The Gypsy" and a romping "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans." He revives two songs that have fallen from favor: a rollicking take of Cole Porter's "Don't Fence Me In" and the moody ballad "Don't Like Goodbyes," a collaboration between Harold Arlen and Truman Capote. The guest spots are a special treat. Connick's former bassist, Ben Wolfe, joins him for a stripped-down, slower-than-usual take of "If I Were a Bell" and Reverend James Moore (in one of his last recordings prior to his death) adds his organ and vocal on Doc Pomus' gospel-flavored "There Is Always One More Time." The big surprise is that Wynton Marsalis is featured on piano, initially accompanying Connick's vocal on "I Only Miss Her When I Think of Her" before giving up the bench to the singer and finishing this lovely ballad on trumpet. Jazz fans attracted to Connick in his early days will greatly appreciate this very fine effort, but will wonder why it took so long for it to be released. Ken Dryden