Maps of Music
Blue Light, Red Light (1991)
Where the lyrics of Blue Light, Red Light take you, and where it was really made.
The album debuted at No. 1 on the jazz chart, yet its best Billboard 200 position was No. 17, reached only on 29 February 1992.
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Recorded at BMG Studio A, New York City (1991)
Recording site BMG Studio A — Discogs lists BMG Recording Studios as the place where this album was recorded. The candidate studio is BMG Studio A in New York City, and Tracey Freeman is credited as producer. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there: See the map for directions.
Album story
Overview
- Blue Light, Red Light: big band album by American artist Harry Connick Jr.
- Released in 1991; described as a multi-platinum album
- Connick sings and plays piano, backed by his 14-piece big band
- Twelve tracks in the main track listing
- Connick wrote the music; Ramsey McLean wrote most of the lyrics
- Four tracks carry music and lyrics both by Connick: "Jill", "He Is They Are", "She Belongs To Me", "Just Kiss Me"
- Longest track "The Last Payday" runs 7:16
- Promo listing exists with "blue light, red light" (3:30) and "sonny cried" (5:44)
Background
- Released in 1991; debuted at No. 1 on the jazz chart that year
- Peak on The Billboard 200 was No. 17 on 29 February 1992
- Connick is credited as pianist and lead vocalist on every track of the album
Recording
- Discogs lists BMG Recording Studios as the recording location
- Tracey Freeman credited as producer
- Gregg Rubin credited as engineer and mixer
- Musicians include Brad Leali and Will Campbell (alto sax), Russell Malone (guitar), Shannon Powell (drums)
- Trumpeters include Roger Ingram, Dan Miller, Leroy Jones, Jeremy Davenport
- Trombonists include Mark Mullins, Craig Klein, Lucien Barbarin, Joe Barati
- Benjamin Jonah Wolfe plays bass on the album
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com
Tracklist
| 1 | Blue Light, Red Light (Someone's There) | 3:31 |
| 2 | A Blessing and a Curse | 3:06 |
| 3 | You Didn't Know Me When | 3:13 |
| 4 | Jill | 6:13 |
| 5 | He Is They Are | 4:15 |
| 6 | With Imagination (I'll Get There) | 5:01 |
| 7 | If I Could Give You More | 4:50 |
| 8 | The Last Payday | 7:17 |
| 9 | It's Time | 6:38 |
| 10 | She Belongs to Me | 3:57 |
| 11 | Sonny Cried | 5:47 |
| 12 | Just Kiss Me | 4:54 |
Sources: musicbrainz.org
Artist
Early life
- Born September 11, 1967 in New Orleans; raised in the Lakeview neighborhood.
- Began learning keyboards at age three, performed publicly at five, and recorded with a local jazz band at ten.
- At nine performed Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 with the New Orleans Symphony Orchestra.
- Developed his talent at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts under Ellis Marsalis Jr. and James Booker.
- Moved to New York, studied at Hunter College and the Manhattan School of Music, and signed with Columbia Records.
Career
- Score for When Harry Met Sally... (1989) brought his first Grammy for Best Jazz Male Vocal Performance; a second followed for We Are in Love (1990).
- Acted in Memphis Belle (1990), Copycat (1995), Independence Day (1996), Hope Floats (1998), and The Iron Giant (1999, voice).
- Starred as Leo Markus on NBC's Will & Grace from 2002 to 2006.
- Only You (2004) reached No. 5 in the U.S. and No. 6 in Britain.
- Hosted the daytime talk show Harry from 2016 to 2018.
- Recorded Cole Porter reinterpretations in 2019 and Alone with My Faith in 2021, earning his 16th Grammy nomination.
- Sold over 30 million albums worldwide as of 2019; won three Grammys and two Emmys.
Reception
At release
- Debuted at No. 1 on the jazz chart in 1991
- Promo edition released alongside the standard album, with two listed tracks
- Released in 1991 as a big band album with Connick on vocals and piano
Records
- Peak at No. 17 on The Billboard 200 on 29 February 1992
- 1992 Grammy nomination: Best Traditional Pop Performance
- 1992 Grammy nomination: Best Instrumental Arrangement with Vocals, for "Blue Light, Red Light (Someone's There)"
- 1992 Soul Train Music Award nomination: Best Jazz Album
- Described as a multi-platinum album
- Certifications section in the source is empty, so no certification details are listed
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Trivia
- Four tracks, "Jill", "He Is They Are", "She Belongs To Me", and "Just Kiss Me", carry music and lyrics both credited to Connick alone.
- Discogs lists BMG Recording Studios as the mixing location too.
- The French Wikipedia entry introduces the album as a jazz album.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com · fr.wikipedia.org
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