Cullum, Cincotti and Buble may challenge, but H C Jr goes the distance to ring-a-ding the Sinatra-ometer and the opening song More could be 'Ole Blue Eyes himself if you shut your eyes.
He has a swaggering, languid confidence as vocalist and pianist and his orchestrating and arranging of all 12 songs pursues the immaculate Nelson Riddle standard with great success. The saxophone section and solos are ravishing and Connick's string writing is fresh, if occasionally quirky - I Only Have Eyes For You lifts the ominous "der-DUM" bass introduction from the Jaws film theme.
You Don't Know Me and Only You recall Ray Charles in Country mode and Connick unexpectedly, but convincingly, includes the doo-wop anthems My Prayer and Save The Last Dance For Me. Such nostalgia may be dubbed easy listening, but Only You deserves a hard listen and will doubtless join the jostle of Jamie, Norah and Kate at the top of the charts.
Updated: 11:50 Thursday, March 18, 2004
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