Customer Reviews

What A Night! A Christmas Album

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

As a long time listener of Harry Connick, Jr., one of my favorite Holiday-related album (and laserdisc) that I purchased was from Harry Connick, Jr. back in 1993 with "When My Heart Finds Christmas".

Fifteen years later, I still listen to the album a lot and although Harry released a sophomore Holiday album in 2003 with "Harry for the Holidays", it didn't capture the same magic as the first album but still enjoyable.

So, here we are five years later, with another Christmas album from Harry Connick, Jr. and it features a good combination of Harry Connick, Jr.'s style of singing popular Christmas classics, his own written songs and also featuring instrumental tracks as well. Most of all, Harry and his big band is back. So, you get a bit of music that are jazzy or songs that other beautiful arrangements featuring an orchestra.

In this album, there are a few interesting collaborations. The first is with jazz/gospel artist Kim Burrell who joins Harry Connick, Jr. for "Let There Be Peace on Earth" and "Song for the Hopeful". With the former featuring a beautiful orchestra-style arrangement and the latter featuring a Harry Connick, Jr. written song featuring a more jazz, contemporary style of track.

The surprise on the Christmas album is the duet with Harry Connick, Jr.'s second daughter Sarah Kate singing with her father. She does a very good job and has her father's flair. What's interesting is that Sarah wasn't even born when the first Holiday album was released and when the second was released, she was only five. So, it's good to see Harry and his daughter (now at the age of 11) singing on this album, considering that Harry Connick Jr. first recorded an album at ten which was titled "Eleven".

There is also a third collaboration with Harry's long time friend and trombone player Lucien Barbarin who joining Harry Connick Jr. in an enjoyable big band style song "Santariffic" which is an original Christmas song by Harry Connick Jr.

Overall, I did enjoy "What a Night! A Christmas Album", I still enjoy the first album more for its holiday ballads and of course, it's more of nostalgia for me and my family. But it's still an enjoyable Christmas album that Harry Connick, Jr. fans will truly enjoy.

Harry Connick Jr. knows how to bring the Christmas spirit and he really delivers once again with his 3rd Christmas album "What A Night!".

Harry adds his own flavor to many of the Christmas classics and he has also given us 4 brand new songs that he wrote himself.

My favorite song on the record is "Winter Wonderland" where he does a duet with his 11 year old daughter Kate. There is playful banter in the song and they each sing several verses in their own unique style. Kate has a magnificent voice and looks to have a bright future ahead herself.

His new song, "What A Night!" is brilliant. Very catchy tune that you will be singing in your head long after the album is through playing.

Other favorites include "It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year", "Holly Jolly Christmas", "Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies", "It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas", "Santarrific", "Zat You Santa Claus", "Jingle Bells", "We Three Kings"

All in all, this cd is splendid and will make you want to grab a hot cup of cocoa, sit by the fire, and be filled with Christmas spirit and love for the season.

Thanks once again Harry!!!

I like Harry Connick Jr. and have many of his albums, including his first Christmas album from several years back. So, when I ordered this one I expected to find more of the same. Boy, was I disappointed. I will never buy another album without listening to the samples available on Amazon, etc. This album is truly almost unlistenable. Harry has always been a better musician than a vocalist, but on this album he is frequently off-key and just plain lazy in his singing. Many times the lines just trail off where he seems to just give up hitting the right note. Whether this is simply his "style" or not, it is just too casual. Someone with a better voice, like Dean Martin, can get away with such a casual style of singing, but not Harry. His duet on "Let There be Peace on Earth" is truly awful. What should be a very simple and pretty song becomes an overblown funeral dirge - for some reason they keep repeating the line "to take each moment", trying to build it up into a crescendo when they finally complete the line. By that time I found myself cringing and saying "take the moment already!" His duet on "Song for the Hopeful" is better, but by the time that track rolled around I was so frustrated with this album that I was ready to pitch it from my car. Since first listening to the album 3 days ago I have been unable to get the title track "What a Night" out of head - and not because I like it! With lines like "Jingle, jingle, watch out for Kris Kringle" it sounds like a rejected song from one of the old Rankin and Bass Christmas specials. Harry's daughter Kate sums it up best on "Winter Wonderland" when she says "that's nice dad, but your version puts me to sleep." When, I was not gritting my teeth at the abovementioned moments in the record, I too was falling asleep listening to what seemed to be Harry sleepwalking through the album.

On the plus side, the musicians are fabulous and the album is at it's best when they and Harry are jazzing up the songs. However, this is not enough to save this album. Again, I am a fan of Harry Connick's which is probably why I was so irritated at this album. He can certainly do better than this.

Harry made the talk show and season rounds with this one and all I can say is he sure took the melody out of these great songs this time around. While trying to be artsy he ruins this disc with unflattering arrangements. Pass on this one!

Just as my title says, Harry phoned it in on this one. It is absolutely atrocious and I'm big fan of most of his work (minus Independence Day). If you're looking for a jazzy Christmas CD go with Diana Krall, Tony Bennett or my personal favorite An Octave Above (not found on Amazon unfortunately but Google it to get to their site).

I've been a fan of Harry Connick Jr. since 1991, I have quite a few of his CD's
and respect his musicianship immensely as well as his forays into acting.
When I bought this CD during the 2008 Christmas season, I liked 75% of the tracks,
while others lagged and took away from the overall good spirit of the album I thought.
"The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" is defintely a stand out and opens the CD beautifully.
I won't dwell on the lackluster songs other than to say that this CD was probably culled from
past sessions of Christmas material. But there are enough good songs on here for me to recommend
it as an addition to your 2009 Christmas music collection.
I am listening to it now as I type this!

I've loved Harry Connick Jr's music for years; I have almost every album, and all the Christmas albums. In regard to those who wrote negative reviews posted so far, I urge you to slow down, turn down the noise around and within you and LISTEN. As a whole, this album is anything but slow!

This album is a mix of well-known Christmas pop and religious standards plus a few new compositions. Overall, my family and I love this album, and can't imagine Christmas without it--we played it that much this last Christmas. For those who want more specifics, a review of each song is below:

"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"--Swings! Wonderful drum beat (Arthur Latin) and horns, spicy! The excitement at the bottom of this song feels like a shiver.

"What a Night!"--New Composition, feels effervescent. Guaranteed to remain in your head, light and joyful, expectant.

"Christmas Day"--Reverent, idealistic, mystical.

"Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas"--The bass (Neal Caine) got a lot of action on this one! Memorable sounds, creative, jazzy, Harry sounds great.

"Please Come Home for Christmas"--This is the first time I've heard this song sound really sad, you can feel the loneliness. A melancholy treat.

"O Come All Ye Faithful"--Truly a call to the faithful. Feels like he takes you by the hand, and asks you to "Adore Him."

"Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies"--Wonderful, mysterious and lively.

"Let There Be Peace On Earth and Let It Begin With Me"--Great lyrics, good vocal performance by both Harry and Kim Burrell. More like a prayer than a song.

"Winter Wonderland"--Duet with Kate, his daughter. He "coaches" her, and she shows him up. Fun.

"It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas"--Straightforward, nothing new here, but satisfying.

"Santariffic"--A duet with Harry and Lucien Barbarin. That alone should let long-time fans know how fun this is--great tongue-in-cheek portrayal of Santa as a "hottie." Wonderful "tailgating" by Lucien!

"Jingle Bells"--Extended jazzy fun.

"Zat You Santa Claus?"--A version of the old Louis Armstrong song, this one feels like the singer is constantly looking over his shoulder! You could file this one under Macabre Christmas, I guess. Fun, much Lucien on the trombone.

"We Three Kings"-- Imaginative instrumental filled with Harry's distinctive piano playing, big band swinging. Feels like it must have been recorded in New Orleans. This is the most fun I've had with this song.

"Song for the Hopeful"--Another duet with Kim Burrell, a new composition. More welcome positivity delivered with style. Great sounds from the James Hall Worship and Praise Choir.

Let me start by saying I am a fan of Harry Connick Jr.'s music. His When My Heart Finds Christmas is my favorite Christmas CD so I was really looking forward to this one. I HATE it! I hate it so much that I had to write my first music review on Amazon to warn people not to waste their money. I wish I could return it! I feel like he threw this together in 30 minutes in the studio. There is a lack of music in the songs and the vocals drag on and are painful to listen to. Do your self a favor and skip this CD and stick with his first Christmas CD!

i love harry connick jr.!!! i saw his christmas concert in minneapolis this past christmas '08. it was the best. he played st james infirmary on an upright piano & in general was wonderful. his enjoyment of music comes out in this cd. he is very talented & i like his creativity w/ all his original works :) plus revamping the traditional songs too !!

Harry Connick and his band provide a lot of great music for the holiday in this CD. Most of the songs are jazzy, upbeat and fun. A nice addition to a holiday collection. Only a few songs are less than desirable.