Harry Connick, Jr: Harry for the Holidays
December 2004 Reviewed by: Rad Bennett Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

The last two albums from Harry Connick, Jr. have been disappointing affairs. The singer has seemed conceited, defensive, and all too full of himself for comfort. There has also been an alarming carelessness to his presentation that made him seem almost spaced out at times. This from a performer who started off with such a bang with the soundtrack from When Harry Met Sally.

I don’t know what the problem was; high-profile performers are under the gun so much that anything can happen. But I am happy to report that this Christmas concert, filmed last year at the Bowery Savings Building/Cipriani, finds still-young Connick back on top. His singing is assured, his delivery confident without being smug. His piano playing, as always, is immaculate, and the arrangements are fresh and bright.

The big-band numbers will wow everyone. The best of these is a cover of "Blue Christmas," which was a big hit for Elvis Presley. It starts as a tribute to the King, but explodes into a smoking big-band blast featuring tenor saxophonist Jerry Weldon. For my part, I find the quieter numbers the best. These include a serene moment at the piano with Harry and Whoopi Goldberg crooning "Baby It’s Cold Outside." Another memorable number happens when Harry, again solo at the piano, is joined by Marc Anthony and Kim Burrell for a soulful rendition of "Silent Night." There are comedy skits, too, in which Connick is joined by Goldberg and Nathan Lane. These are pleasant enough, if scarcely memorable.

The concert was shot in hi-def, and even given DVD's more limited resolution, it looks smooth and lustrous, with rock-solid images and singularly realistic skin tones. Because the concert was performed in the round, the cameras are given full access to all the performers, and the resultant close-up shots are extremely well edited. The sound is rich, full, and offered in either Dolby Digital 5.1 or PCM stereo. I prefer the multichannel mix here -- it more accurately supports the theater-in-the-round video approach.

Columbia has gone to unusual lengths in presenting this concert. It is available in three different packages. One offers just the concert on a straight-out DVD-Video. The other two present the concert, plus a CD that contains studio recordings of the music, filled out with additional cuts. This pairing is available in either a two-disc jewel case or a two-disc Amaray DVD case. There are also some extras on the live-concert side. These include chatter from Connick, a selection of bloopers, and a bonus musical number -- an emotionally wrenching and reassuring version of "I Pray on Christmas" -- with Connick and Burrell. Harry for the Holidays is a sure bet for good holiday entertainment.

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