Track Listing

1. Sleigh Ride
2. When My Heart Finds Christmas
3. (It Must've Been Ol') Santa Claus
4. Blessed Dawn of Christmas Day - Harry Connick, Jr.
5. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
6. Little Drummer Boy - Harry Connick, Jr.
7. Ave Maria
8. Parade of the Wooden Soldiers - Harry Connick, Jr.
9. What Child Is This?
10. Christmas Dreaming
11. I Pray on Christmas
12. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
13. O Holy Night
14. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #72575 in Music
• Released on: 1993-10-26
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
New Orleans pianist, singer, and songwriter Harry Connick Jr. has done what many makers of Christmas records strive for but seldom achieve: he's made a Christmas record that sounds convincingly like a '40s period piece and rigorously like a cool, contemporary jazz disc. His powerful, self-written Christmas songs sound like polished standards, and he delivers the whole package with a sassy, vocal economy (with the occasional New Orleans accent) and an orchestral richness that is never indulgent or overwhelming. When My Heart Finds Christmas is a true classic that no lover of big-band jazz and singing (in the Sinatra style)--and Christmas music--should be without. There are so many great moments here that singling any one out would be at the expense of the others. Still, the reverential, solo-piano intro to "Ave Maria," Connick's own "(It Must've Been Ol') Santa Claus," (a rousing, second-line swing tune), and his triumphant "I Pray on Christmas" (a get-happy-now gospel song) deserve mention if only because they'll earn Connick extra credit in heaven and on Earth. --Martin Keller

Customer Reviews

a must have for any seasonal collection
This is the best Christmas album I've heard in a very long time! "It Must Have Been Ol' Santa Claus" is a great toe-tapper, and should become an instant classic. That's just one of many original songs on this CD, all of which are fantastic. "When My Heart Finds Christmas" really captures what is supposed to be the spirit of the season The traditional songs are great new renditions. "Ave Maria" gives me chills every time I hear it. And just hearing Harry sing "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" makes me melt! No one could sing it better. It's the most romantic rendition of the most romantic song! It's fabulous. Buy this CD, and listen to it all year 'round!

Fantastic Holiday Variety of Music
Great compositions by this talented musician and composer sprinkled with some fun Christmas pieces, foundationed by some wonderful Spritual songs along with traditional Carols.

The title song along with "The Blessed Dawn of Christmas Day" and "I Pray on Christmas" are his works and are marvelous in their words and performace.

On the lighter side, "It Must've Been Ol'Santa Claus" and "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" are such fun!

Traditional offerings of Rudolph, Sleigh Ride and O Holy Night are well done and very pleasing to enjoy.

His final track of "What Are You During New Year's Eve" is so great, a Sinatra like voice but smoother. His piano on "Ave Maria" is so delicate and majestic, what a talent!

Buy this one for some variety in your holiday sounds!

Terrific '40's big band sound.
Indeed, it's the big band sound which is the high point of this CD. From "Sleigh Ride" on, we're treated to the orchestral and choral arrangements so prevalent during the '40's. And this works for most of the cuts, including the strong originals presented here.

However, it does fail on the two most spiritual offerings, Schubert's "Ave Maria" and "O Holy Night". The former starts with a beautiful piano accompaniment, but Harry's voice just doesn't deliver "Ave Maria" well, nor does it work on "O Holy Night".

The rest of the album is great, especially for those who appreciate the old big band sound.