Maps of Music

Occasion: Connick on Piano, Volume 2 (2005)

Where the lyrics of Occasion: Connick on Piano, Volume 2 take you, and where it was really made.

A solo-piano project meant to mix in duet pieces became a full duo album after a drummer's injury.

Key places

Recorded at Hayti Heritage Center (2005)

Recording site Hayti Heritage Center — The album is recorded in 2005 at a studio listed as Hayti Heritage Center in Durham, North Carolina. The map pin sits at the city center, not at the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Occasion: Connick on Piano, Volume 2 is an instrumental album by Harry Connick Jr. and Branford Marsalis
• Recorded in 2005; Connick plays piano and Marsalis plays saxophone
• Both play their own jazz compositions
• Volume 2 in the Connick on Piano series from Marsalis Music
• Volume 1 is Connick's quartet album Other Hours
• A DVD of live performances of music from this album, titled A Duo Occasion, was released in November 2005

Background

• The project began as a plan to mix solo piano and duo performances
• Drummer Arthur Latin hurt his shoulder, so Connick held off on recording another quartet album
• Connick asked Marsalis to do something together with him
• The plan turned into an entire duo album

Recording

• Produced by Branford Marsalis and Tracey Freeman
• Connick wrote the liner notes
• Engineering and mixing by Rob 'Wacko' Hunter, with Rick Dior as assistant engineer
• Mastering by Greg Calbi
• Recorded at the Hayti Heritage Center in Durham, North Carolina

Cover

• Album photography by Frank Hunter
• Art direction and design by Arnold Levine
• Art producer Jean-Pierre LeGuillou

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

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

• Recorded in 2005 and issued as Volume 2 of the Connick on Piano series from Marsalis Music
• Volume 1 is the quartet album Other Hours, so this record is the duo follow-up
• The album holds 13 tracks, opening with 'Brown World' and closing with 'Good To Be Home'
• The longest track is 'Remember The Tarpon' at 7:10; the shortest is 'Chanson Du Vieux Carre' at 2:17
• 'Occasion' and 'Steve Lacy' are written by Branford Marsalis
• The other songs are written by Harry Connick Jr.
• Tracks 5, 6 and 13 ('I Like Love More', 'All Things' and 'Good To Be Home') come from Connick's score for the 2001 Broadway musical Thou Shalt Not
• That score earned Connick a Tony Award nomination
• The DVD A Duo Occasion, with live performances of music from this album, was released in November 2005
• Connick and Marsalis are the only two performers credited on the album

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• 'Chanson Du Vieux Carre' means 'Song of the French Quarter', and the same title names the third album in the series
• Three tracks come from a Tony-nominated score for a 2001 Broadway musical
• Connick's original plan mixed solo piano and duo tracks
• The DVD A Duo Occasion was released in November 2005
• Connick plays piano; Marsalis plays soprano and tenor saxophone

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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