Songs I Heard

1	Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious 4:29
2	The Lonely Goatherd 3:20
3	Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead 2:07
4	Maybe 3:49
5	Pure Imagination/Candy Man 4:21
6	Golden Ticket/I Want It Now 3:49
7	Oompa Loompa 3:46
8	A Spoonful of Sugar 5:14
9	Stay Awake 2:41
10	Something Was Missing 4:16
11	You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile 2:56
12	Over the Rainbow 4:14
13	The Jitterbug 3:40
14	The Merry Old Land of Oz 2:50
15	Edelweiss 2:27
16	Do-Re-Mi 4:15

Barnes & Noble

Songs I Heard takes Harry Connick Jr. on a sentimental journey back to his childhood. On this delightful project, the singer/pianist reinterprets songs from musical films that affected him as an impressionable youth. Connick, acting as his own arranger, orchestrator, and conductor, puts lively and imaginative new spins on classics from The Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, The Sound of Music, and Annie. Variety rules: “Supercalifragilsticexpialidocious” and “A Spoonful of Sugar” are given funky New Orleans treatments; “Over the Rainbow” is lush and symphonic; “Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead” is given an Ellington-esque, all-instrumental treatment; “Golden Ticket/I Want It Now,” “Oompa Loompa,” and “Pure Imagination/Candy Man” are solo piano-and-voice performances. Each interpretation is heartfelt and intelligently approached: This isn’t a children’s album, though kids with alert musical taste will certainly enjoy it. Here, Connick has tapped into his inner child, and the results are evidence of distinct artistic maturation. William Pearl

All Music Guide

This is a very entertaining session by Harry Connick, Jr., covering his favorite songs from movies and the stage. Although his vocals are the primary focus, he also plays piano, wrote all of the arrangements, and conducted both the orchestra and big band. The film Mary Poppins introduced "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and "A Spoonful of Sugar," both of which are recast as lively New Orleans struts, featuring trumpeters (and fellow New Orleans natives) Kermit Ruffins and Leroy Jones, respectively, as well as a lush "Stay Awake," with Connick's vocal backed by strings and brass. Several songs from The Sound of Music are included: a delightful, well-crafted arrangement of "The Lonely Goatherd," the waltzing take of "Edelweiss" with a very formal orchestral setting, and a fun-filled "Do-Re-Mi" that starts off with duet bassist Neal "Sugar" Caine and gradually introduces additional soloists to the mix as the piece progresses until the full big band joins in, and then wraps with several amusing false endings. The Wizard of Oz is the source for the hilarious interpretation of "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead" (primarily an instrumental feature with an imaginative Connick arrangement), a dramatic but nearly over-produced "Over the Rainbow," a campy but obscure song, "The Jitterbug" (which was dropped during the editing of the original film), and a rather laid-back version of "The Merry Old Land of Oz." It's easy to tell that Connick enjoyed making this CD, as the enthusiasm of everyone involved comes across in every track. Ken Dryden