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Harry Connick Jr. at Heinz Hall. (Photo: Scott Tady)<\/p>\nSCOTT TADY<\/p>\n
PITTSBURGH \u2014 Harry Connick Jr. felt a bit intimidated Wednesday playing in Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n
Not because of the people; Connick assured a full-house Heinz Hall audience he finds Pittsburghers to be soulful and delightful.<\/p>\n
But for his first Pittsburgh appearance in four years \u2014 and first non-Christmas concert in the Steel City in 13 years \u2014 Connick said he felt nervous playing piano in the city that produced piano-playing jazz trailblazers like Earl \u201cFatha\u201d Hines, Mary Lou Williams, Ahmad Jamal and his personal hero, Erroll Garner.<\/p>\n
Seated at a Steinway piano, Connick, the famed pop crooner\/jazz singer\/Hollywood actor, then went off-script, demonstrating to Pittsburgh fans the dexterous and groundbreaking piano technique of Garner, involving one hand playing slightly ahead of the beat and the other hand playing slightly behind the beat.<\/p>\n
Concertgoers savored Connick\u2019s piano lesson, laughing at his punchlines about how there\u2019s no way he could duplicate such brilliance.<\/p>\n
Maybe not, but Connick indisputably delivered a masterful night of piano playing paired with his warm and clear voice, all backed by a five-man horn section, upright bass player, keyboardist and a drummer striking beats more with brushes than typical drumsticks.<\/p>\n
Hitting the stage at 7:30 p.m. sharp, this \u201cAn Evening With Harry Connick Jr.\u201d concert launched with the upbeat swing of Johnny Mercer\u2019s \u201cThat Old Black Magic.\u201d Interspersed with a piano interlude, Connick then crooned his biggest hit \u201cIt Had to Be You,\u201d featured prominently in the film \u201cWhen Harry Met Sally.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harry Connick Jr. at Heinz Hall. (Photo: Scott Tady)<\/p>\n
The jazz band got numerous opportunities for solos that earned mid-song applause from the seated crowd.<\/p>\n
Connick, 58, professed his love for the compositions of Cole Porter ahead of a peppy \u201cI Love Paris.\u201d<\/p>\n
Connick told a moving story about his mom, Anita, a lawyer and New Orleans judge, who died from ovarian cancer in 1981 when the musician was a mere 13 years old. From the early days of his childhood when he first started singing, Anita told everyone her son would one day sing at New York\u2019s prestigious Carnegie Hall. Connick honored her legacy and fulfill that lifelong dream by performing at Carnegie Hall \u2014 the first time he ever walked into that building \u2014 this past May 22, on what would have been his mom\u2019s 100th birthday.<\/p>\n
He has detailed her life and their bond in his tribute book, \u201cBabe: Elaboratio: A Tribute to My Mother,\u201d and told the Pittsburgh crowd they can pre-order the symphonic album he composed specifically for that Carnegie Hall show.<\/p>\n
His loose and carefree 100-minute Heinz Hall concert featured a lovely \u201cGeorgia (On My Mind)\u201d and a spiritually uplifting \u201cHow Great Thou Art.\u201d<\/p>\n
For his final few selections, Connick whisked listeners to the Big Easy for Mardi Gras music showcasing Connick\u2019s wiggling dance moves that earned appreciative hoots and hollers from spectators.<\/p>\n
A little eye candy never hurts, though Connick\u2019s adept piano playing and voice were the primary dazzlers.<\/p>\n
For more on the concert, here\u2019s what reviewer Scott Tady said on his Thursday morning show on WBVP-WMBA (Beaver County Radio):<\/p>\n