Harry Connick Jr. - We Are in Love

Harry Connick Jr. has a rare gift for summoning the style of classic 1940s saloon singing, hinting at Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and especially Dick Haymes, without engaging in actual impersonation. What's more uncanny still is his songwriting, an idiomatic command of the standards that often summons some of the rhythmic ease of Gershwin, the tunefulness of Jerome Kern, and the wit of Cole Porter. Both his singing and songwriting talents are evident on this CD, recorded in 1990 when Connick was just 22. Its emphasis is squarely on the subject of love, both on the ballads and some harder swinging tunes, and Connick's voice shines on original songs and the standards "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" and Porter's "It's All Right with Me." Connick's voice and piano are ably supported by bassist Ben Wolfe, drummer Shannon Powell, and a string section, while there are some good jazz solos by regular associate Russell Malone on guitar and guest Branford Marsalis on tenor and soprano saxophones. --Adam Rains Amazon.com

niiiiiiice

This is a great album. It is great to see a younger modern singer perform these jazz standard types of songs with such quality, style, and a genuine feel. And what's more, he wrote a lot of them. January 14, 2008

One of the Connick's best!

I've had this album since 1992 at least and I think I've purchased 10 copies over that time. As Connick states, it's not truly an album of love songs, but each song is related to love. If you want love songs, check out "To See You". "We Are In Love" is an amazing compilation of songs that bring out the fun, desperation, and quirkiness of romance; as well as any other emotion that you can think of. Unlike some of his albums, this album will appeal to people that don't typically like jazz or big band. Many of the songs are great for singing along to and there's some excellent instrumentation on here as well. I've never loved the orchestration that Connick uses on many albums, and this album uses it sparingly. If you're not a big Connick fan, but you love fun music and music about love, this is your album. May 22, 2006

Fresh face, old school

Harry Connick, Jr. is an absolute TREASURE! Throughout his long career (despite the fact that he is still relatively young), he has given us music and performances that are witty, soulful, stirring, and delightful. He embodies all that is good about music and style, being a virtual living encyclopedia of jazz, big band, pop, swing, soul, and lots of other tastes, blended in a spicy gumbo of Big Easy charm. "We Are in Love" is one of my favorite Connick records because it's got all of the above. Harry mixes covers with original tunes into a seemless tapestry of sound and color. The title track is a beautifully phrased and written tour-de-force that would make Sinatra or Bennett proud. I also love "A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square" and "Recipe for Love." A special treat is the sax work of fellow New Orleanian Branford Marsalis. I love Michael Buble, but Harry is still the King of the Crooners! March 11, 2006

Why don't I listen to this one more often??

I, like most Connick fans, "discovered" him through hearing his music on the soundtrack to the Meg Ryan/Billy Crystal movie WHEN HARRY MET SALLY (ASIN B0000026V6). At the tender age of 20, I bought the CD to accompany it and loved it. I had the rare opportunity to judge these time-tested tunes with an unjaundiced ear of naivete: Grandma and Grandpa had some good tunes AFTER all. When his 2nd disc (this one) came out, I hurried to purchase it and was underwhelmed at the time outside of a couple tunes I felt were pretty catchy (Recipe for Love and It's Alright with Me). In all fairness it's difficult for ANY composer to stand alongside the likes of "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" or "It Had to Be You". As time went on, I discovered more of the big band era singers and performers' original versions and adjusted my estimation of the WHMS disc downward a bit (in comparison with folks like Sinatra, Crosby, and Cole...Nat, not Natalie).

But a curious thing happened when I revisited this disc recently: I played it again. And again...and again...and again. Perhaps some of it is the novelty of hearing new "oldies" but quite a few of these tunes are holding up for me, particularly with my more mature ears these days.

HIGHLIGHTS:
"We are in Love" is the confirmed bachelor's surrender: "I do..could it be that's the phrase you thought never would phase you/Well baby, you'd better hold on tight/'Cause I'm the one/who's supposed to kneel down and propose/well alright/I might, I might". "Recipe for Love" follows a similar theme with a novelty approach. ("It doesn't need an oven 'cause it's got a lot of heat/Just add a dash of kisses to make it all complete..") Love is fading in "Drifting" as the song's hero faces facts. ("Though you say your heart isn't drifting, drifting/The words simply don't ring true/You're drifting and I'm losing you") It's easy to envision a Disney character waltzing to the tune and singing to the offscreen lover (meaning it feels timeless, not schmaltzy) "Forever, for Now" has perhaps the most unlikely arrangement in that in incorporates a twangy bass that almost resembles 50's surf guitar at times along with cheesy, "film noir detective flick" muted trumpet and it actually WORKS. "It's Alright with Me" is the sole non-original that qualifies as a gem here. Connick turns in an irresistible cover of the Cole Porter classic.

LOWS:
Connick usually falters when he forgets that "ballad" doesn't equate to "wimpy". "Buried in Blue" betrays some truly poetic lyrics ("You can report a missing person/But not a stolen heart/And I'm missing a person/to whom stealing was an art") with wake-me-when-it's-over pacing that drags on for nearly 7 minutes. "Only 'Cause I Don't Have You" similarly feels leaden thanks to its molasses melody. Same for "Just a Boy" but it adds the extra bogging down of a pretentious lyric about growing up that wants to be "deep" but just comes off as silly. ("Now that we're tall and all grown/A house, a car, lives of our own/We put off but we can't postpone/The way we become men")

BOTTOM LINE:
This is 2nd only to RED LIGHT, BLUE LIGHT as my favourite Connick effort. It's aging well. Recommended. November 5, 2005

The New Standard: Harry Connick Jr.

I have been enjoying this CD for several months now and I have truly grown to love every track on it. His unique style and interpretations harkens back to a time when the songs were beautifully written and the performers were masters of there craft. Almost single-handedly Harry Connick Jr. has managed to create a new fresh awareness to jazz music as a whole, and even now in 2004 he continues to reacquaint the world to the beautiful songs from the past.

If you LOVE listening to GREAT CROONERS and are in the mood for some Bigger, Brassier, Swingin' versions of tunes from the Great American Songbook, I would also recommend MONTE PROCOPIO "SWINGIN' WITH STYLE" CD. He is also a Great Crooner that can really SWING and deserves a listen. Buy both these CDs, you can't go wrong! April 11, 2004

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