I always thought Connick’s stylistic choices were his downfall (at least in the pieces that I’ve heard); in my mind he’ll always suffer by comparison to Sinatra exactly because much of his music lends itself so handily to comparison, and I haven’t heard him sing anything that I wouldn’t have rather heard Sinatra sing. Sure it’s a personal bias on my part, but I’d venture to say it’s not an uncommon bias among fans of the genre.
The relative weakness and indistinctiveness of Connick’s voice are among his liabilities. Sinatra’s voice had tremendous timbre and resonance, yet he also had nuance, lyricism, and a feel for painting moods. Sinatra will be remembered as one of the great male vocalists of the 20th century–as a true superstar. Connick will be remembered as a very competent singer and excellent piano stylist/arranger.
During Sinatra’s latter years, Connick actually bumped into him on an elevator after one of Connick’s concerts, IIRC. Sinatra, it was said, made little effort at concealing his contempt for the man whom Connick’s publicists dressed up as the next Sinatra.
Michael Buble is far better than Connick, but there will never be another Sinatra.
The nuance, lyricism and a feel for painting moods are a result of his phrasing. Sinatra phrases vocal lines similar to the way Miles Davis phrases trumpet melody. You can listen to a Sinatra tune 100 times and still not be able to sing along with him without blowing the timing somewhere. Connick is completely predictable and, imo, wholly forgettable. I’ll have to check out out Buble.
Sinatra’s influence on popular music and culture will be hard for Connick to beat; and while Connick get Jill Goodacre, Sinatra got BOTH Lana Turner and Ava Gardner (he also got Mia Farrow, to which Ava Gardner said, “I always knew Frank would end up in bed with a little boy.”)
As an aside, the guy who wrote “Fly Me To The Moon” died over the weekend.
They both suck so the point it moot.
Oh, that’s telling. Sinatra treated Connick like he treated the rest of humanity. Frank may have been a talent but by all accounts he was an unmittigated bastard.
I had a chance to see Connick live last year and it was great show. I’m about 40 years to young to have seen a live concert by Sinatra when he could still sing. Connick does not do as well in the studio as he does live. I wish he would do a live album and maybe capture some of that vibe. I think the two get compared just because they sing the same general type of song, jazzy ballads.
I know Connick has musical credentials that would blow Sinatra out of the water. He studied with Marsalis Sr. as a kid and it shows. If you have not heard his piano arrangement of Chatinooga Choo Choo you need to. Although, again, the version on his album (I think it is on “30”) is nowhere near the effect in concert.
If everything that has been said/written is, for the most part, true, Sinatra did have personal shortcomings. Sometimes it is difficult to separate the man from the music.
Thank you for this. I haven’t seen Connick live, but Iwould like to.
And would anyone like to suggest anything in particular of Michael Buble’s?
I took my girlfriend to see Sinatra in Vegas in 1990. His voice was starting to fade, but he was still pretty good. After the show, we went for a walk and I proposed to her. It turned out that we were standing under a photo of Ava Gardner. Anyway, we’re still married. Thanks, ole’ blue eyes.
Dewey I agree with you wholeheartedly… about the sitcoms.
In my opinion y’all are being a bit harsh on Harry’s singing abilities, saw a live DVD of him just recently and he was pretty awesome, not just with his singing, but also his showmanship, energy, etc.
Whilst I acknowledge Sinatra’s performances and music oozed cool, and were generally classy, I think that the amount of energy and originality in by Connick’s far outweigh this, and in terms of musicianship Harry wins hands down.
To me, the very fact that Harry is as well known as he is demonstrates he is the superior of the two. If Franky had been around in the age where “big band” refers to a real drummer not a synthesiser and so on, I doubt he would have had half the success he did. Had Harry been around when his style of music had more than a fringe following, well, who’s to say how far he would have gone.
In response to the OP, the bottom line is no, Harry Connick Jr is not the 21st Century Sinatra. Harry is a charming, funny, classy musician who broke the mould and played something outside of the normal music of the day.
In contrast, Sinatra, for all his hype, was little more than an arrogant, rude little thug who happened to make some good music at a time when it was readily accepted.
No.
I remember when the soundtrack to ‘When Harry met Sally’ came out and there was much talk about Connick being the next generation, blah-blittety-blah. He was such a wunderkind and could croon like Sinatra.
That was 15 years ago. And people are still saying he’s ‘the next Sinatra’. There should be some statute of limitations for how long one can be a wanna-be, before on turns into a never-gonna-be.
Frankly (sic!) Connick is just aping Sinatra, and it’s hard to become as good or better as someone you’re trying to imitate.
Also, he was a true bastard, emitting an air of danger and coolness, apart from all the artistic merits. Connick will never be near. Connick might be the next Steve Lawrence, but that’s about it.
I’m open to debate about Connick. I don’t like him but he has talent.
But, If you’re going to come and say Sinatra sucks, I’m going to have to ask you to list 3 artists you really like.
Umm just a second. Frank Sinatra started out with the Harry James “big bad” in the late 1930s and recorded* All, or Nothing at All * with them in 1939. In 1940, Frank moved on to the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra before going solo in 1942.
Not only was Frank around during the “big band” era, he helped define the band lead/solo voice style. He performed professionally for sixty years, 1935 - 1995, and died in 1998. That kind of success does not come easily.
His first CD is great; not Sinatra-great, but a lot more Ring-a-Ding-Ding tha Harry Connick’s latest outing.
It’s been my experience in life that anytime someone is said to “be the next” anyone, they never are. The true greats are one of a kind, and they usually show it at an early age. Think Sinatra, Streisand, the Beatles, Elton John, etc. (I know, I know…I’m gonna get jumped on for including Elton, but the guy is a genius melody writer, a hell of a piano player and singer, and has had a successful career that has outlasted anyone I’m aware of outside of Sinatra.)
I wish Harry Connick, Jr., would stick to instrumental music because, IMO, he is vastly overrated as a singer. I, for one, will never forget nor forgive his ruination of Hoagy Carmichael’s “Baltimore Oriole.”
Sinatra is not my favorite performer, but I think the man had awesome talent and he is definitely one of the most influential singers of the 20th Century.
No.