Maps of Music

What a Night! A Christmas Album (2008)

Where the lyrics of What a Night! A Christmas Album take you, and where it was really made.

This Christmas album was first titled Christmas Day, and the title was changed only in September 2008, a few weeks before its November release.

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What a Night! A Christmas Album: Christmas album by American singer, pianist and bandleader Harry Connick Jr.
Released on November 4, 2008
Third Christmas album by Connick
Consists of new recordings of Christmas classics and new songs written by Connick
Contains 15 tracks, including 'It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year', 'What a Night!', and 'Jingle Bells'

Earlier Christmas albums by Connick: When My Heart Finds Christmas (1993) and Harry for the Holidays (2003)
The first public mention of recording the album came in an interview in The Times-Picayune in June 2008
Connick has three daughters with his wife Jill Goodacre
The working title was Christmas Day; the title was changed in September 2008

'Song for the Hopeful' is a duet with Kim Burrell, written by Connick for the 2008 TV film Living Proof
Burrell is also featured on 'Let There Be Peace On Earth'
Middle daughter Sarah Kate sings a duet with Connick on 'Winter Wonderland'
'Christmas Time is Here' and 'Trinity' were on the early track list
In early October, those two tracks were replaced by 'Christmas Day' and an instrumental version of Tchaikovsky's 'Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy'
Lucien Barbarin plays trombone on 'Santariffic'
Arrangements are by Harry Connick Jr., who also handles vocals and piano
Kim Burrell, Kate Connick, Jonathan Batiste and other guests appear in the personnel list
Album is credited as a holiday project built around Connick's big band and vocal arrangements

1	It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year	3:29
2	What a Night!	3:25
3	Christmas Day	3:24
4	Have a Holly Jolly Christmas	4:05
5	Please Come Home for Christmas	4:27
6	O Come All Ye Faithful	4:16
7	Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies	2:47
8	Let There Be Peace on Earth	3:31
9	Winter Wonderland	3:50
10	It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas	3:30
11	Santarrific	3:59
12	Jingle Bells	5:29
13	Zat You Santa Claus	3:41
14	We Three Kings	4:46
15	Song for the Hopeful	4:36
16	Deck the Halls	3:00
17	Christmas Time Is Here	5:07
18	O Christmas Tree	3:23

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.

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.

Released on November 4, 2008
Third Christmas album by Harry Connick Jr., being his third Christmas album, since 1993's When My Heart Finds Christmas and 2003's Harry for the Holidays
Consists of new recordings of Christmas classics plus new songs written by Connick
Title changed from Christmas Day to What a Night! A Christmas Album in September 2008
Tour: A Holiday Celebration Tour 2008, a concert tour with his big band to support the album, confirmed by the official Harry Connick Jr. website in September 2008
One tour stop included the annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
Two early tracks, 'Christmas Time is Here' and 'Trinity', were replaced in early October by two new tracks
Big band line-up includes trumpet, trombone, saxophone and bass players, with Arthur Latin II on drums and percussion
Album credited to Connick's arrangements and personnel list

The album was first called Christmas Day, but the title was changed in September 2008, to What a Night! A Christmas Album.
The song 'Song for the Hopeful' was written by Connick for the 2008 TV film Living Proof, a source of the duet with Kim Burrell.
In early October, the track list was revised, with two tracks replaced by 'Christmas Day' and an instrumental 'Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy'.
Connick's middle daughter Sarah Kate sings a duet with him on 'Winter Wonderland'.
One stop on the 2008 tour included the annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.