‘A celebration of music.’ Harry Connick Jr. ready to perform live again after lockdown
When it comes to talent, there’s no question that Harry Connick Jr. has it all.
From jazz to acting in film, TV and Broadway to judging on “American Idol,” it seems like he has a serious case of the golden touch. Connick only has to point to the multiple Emmys, Grammys, and Tony awards and nominations for proof.
That golden touch extends to his new album and his upcoming tour.
While most of us were binging Netflix to stay sane during the pandemic, Connick was dealing with the situation by recording his newest album, “Alone with My Faith.” But because he couldn’t meet with his band, he recorded every track and instrument himself, while writing most of the music as well.
“I just started recording stuff that meant something to me. I build these arrangements up from simple melodies and harmonies to whatever I thought the instrumentation should be,” Connick told The News & Observer.
The album, which dropped in March, is a masterpiece of musical excellence and an intimate look at the role of faith in facing tragedy.
He’s ready to share it live on stage and is hitting the road with a seven-piece band, launching the tour Aug. 5 He’ll bring the “Time to Play!” tour to Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre on Aug. 24 with a program that features music from across his career — including from “Alone with My Faith.”
Soon, he’ll also star as Daddy Warbucks in NBC’s “Annie Live!” alongside Taraji P. Henson. It is expected to air this winter.
Before he got started on the road, Connick spoke with The News & Observer to talk about the more intimate music, getting back on stage and his takeaways from the pandemic.
Q: You came to the Triangle just two years ago to debut the world premiere of your Cole Porter show. What do you remember about presenting it in Durham, and being in this area?
A: I love Durham. I’ve spent a pretty good amount of time there. I’ve recorded there, and obviously done the Cole Porter show. It’s just a great part of the world, I love hanging out down there.
Q: Did that preview influence anything with the Broadway presentation?
A: Well, with a show like that, it’s pretty much locked down. So it didn’t change much from that show to the Broadway show. It was an immensely technical show, so it was good for my crew to have a chance to run through it, and we were so grateful to the audience there for just being a part of it. And we were glad to have had the chance to perform it down there.
Q: What has it felt and looked like to finally be able to return to in-person concerts and performance?
A: I’m excited about it. I haven’t seen the band and I won’t see them until next week. It’ll be fun, I hope, for the people that decide to come out and see us. They’ll have a great time. I know we’re looking forward to it. It’s been a long time, so everybody’s excited.
Q: What did you miss the most during the past year, performing or otherwise?
A: I didn’t miss anything. I mean, this was so much bigger than me and whatever I like to do. I was just concerned with all the heartbreak and the heroism of the people that were doing everything they could to keep us safe. I didn’t think about performing once, to be honest with you.
It seems like a good time to start now, and I’m excited about it, but that was a time for being respectful for all the people who were working so hard to get us through.
Q: What’s the inspiration behind the program of “Time to Play,” and what can audiences expect?
A: Well, it’s going to be a celebration of music and performing live again; and the shows will be different every night. People who have seen me perform know that they’re really not going to get the same show twice. So, we’ll play songs from all different albums, and some songs I haven’t even thought of. You go out on stage and just think of a tune and you play it.
So it’s going to be an impromptu, fun celebration of music. I’ll play some songs that people might be familiar with, and then we’ll just have fun the rest of the time.
Q: This tour comes after your recent album release, “Alone with my Faith.” An album focused so explicitly on faith is not necessarily expected from you. What during the pandemic inspired and convinced you to create this album and how did your faith shape it?
A: The reason I did it is because after all the time at home dealing with what everybody else was dealing with during the pandemic, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to sing songs about my faith. I’ve done that my whole career, but I’ve never done a whole album about songs about my faith, and the spectrum of faith.
I mean, some days were super positive, and some days I questioned things, and everything in-between. So this album is kind of a reflection of, not only what I was going through, but the shared experience of what everybody was having, whether it was from a Christian perspective or any perspective.
It was a tough time, it continues to be a tough time. The album was therapeutic for me and hopefully it gave some other people some peace too.
Q: So you recorded the whole album yourself. What did that process look like?
A: I was at home, nobody could come over. So I set up all the mics and pulled out all the instruments. I have a lot of instruments at home: trumpets, saxophones, guitars, basses, cellos, synthesizers.
So, it was a tedious process. It took a long time, but I enjoyed that process and I was happy to have the time to do it.
Q: What do you hope people take away from this album?
A: I just hope that it gives them some peace and shows them that we all have this unique shared experience. I don’t think anybody on the planet had ever gone through anything like this. It helped me to know that other people were going through something similar.
You lose people and there’s no chance to have any kind of memorial service or funeral. It’s just hard. This album felt like a reflection of that. I just hope people know that it was done for them, and I hope that it resonates with them.
Q: Outside of the new album, how has the pandemic and the lockdown influenced the way you approach music and performance, and just life in general?
A: I’m able to compartmentalize things pretty easily, so the pandemic and COVID really didn’t have any bearing on how I look at music and perform to be honest, as unromantic as that sounds. I’m sure the pain of it all will affect me as a human being.
But, when I go out on stage and play, it’s not like I’m thinking about COVID. I just love to perform, and I don’t think that changed much as a result of the pandemic.
Details
Who: Harry Connick Jr. and his band
When: Aug. 24, 8 p.m.
Where: Booth Amphitheatre, 8003 Regency Parkway, Cary
Cost: Tickets are $39.50 to $129.50
Info: boothamphitheatre.com