An Interview with Harry Connick Jr.
A conversation ahead of his Chautauqua performance
There are few artists who have a resume like Harry Connick Jr. Singer, songwriter, actor (both on stage and screen), and author. His career has taken him from the music-filled streets of New Orleans to stages all over the world. He recently accomplished performing a piece at Carnegie Hall, which he wrote for his mother, which is an accompaniment to an upcoming book about her life. Erie Reader contributing writer Larry Wheaton spoke with Harry Connick Jr. over the phone regarding his latest projects, his first time playing Carnegie Hall, and his upcoming tour, which includes a stop at the Chautauqua Institution.
Larry Wheaton (LW): Your latest performance was at Carnegie Hall in New York City. This was your first time playing there and it was in celebration of what would have been your mothers 100th birthday and you performed an orchestral piece that you had written for her. Can you tell me the significance of performing at Carnegie Hall?
Harry Connick Jr. (HCJ): My mom had a dream for me to play Carnegie Hall, it was something that she spoke about a lot, kind of the pinnacle of any musician's career. So, I dreamed of playing there too, because I wanted to do it for my mom, but she died when I was thirteen and I didn't have a chance. So I told myself that if I had a chance to play there one day, that it would have to be on the right occasion. So, I waited until May 22, 2026, which was her birthday and I made a point never to go into Carnegie Hall until that night. I didn't even go to the rehearsal, so at 7:30 that night I entered the building and walked onto that stage for the first time, which was a really beautiful moment for me.
LW: That night must have been filled with a lot of emotion and now that some time has passed, what was a highlight for that evening, looking back at it?
HCJ: The whole thing was a highlight! Just walking out onto the stage, never having been on it before was overwhelming. It was something that I have thought about doing for 45 years and then there was sort of my life before that and my life after it, because I never thought about doing something specifically for that amount of time. So that was pretty heavy.
LW: The piece that you wrote and performed was Babe Elaboratio, and it's separated into three acts. Can you explain what each act details?
HCJ: Each movement is a section of her life. The first movement is in New York, where she was born and raised. The second movement was in Morocco where she lived for a few years in her late twenties, which was an important period for her because she met my dad and got married to him there. Then the third movement is when she moved to New Orleans, where they went after they were married and she spent the rest of her life there. So, each movement, musically, kind of represents those places, even though the music doesn't necessarily sound like those places — that really wasn't the intent, just putting into musical forms those feelings in her life.
LW: Are there plans to record this piece and release it in accompaniment to the book Babe: Elaboratio: A Tribute To My Mother that you wrote?
HCJ: Yes, the record will come out. The book will be released on September 29 and the record will come out that same day.
LW: What does the book tell of your mother's story and how it shaped your life and your musical journey? Can you elaborate on what readers can expect from the book?
HCJ: I only had my mom for a short time and I only had the stories that she told me to use as references to the book. So the rest of the stuff is an elaboration. I intentionally didn't go back and do any historical research on her life, because I wanted it to be what I remembered, as opposed to a genealogical deep dive or looking through records of her past coming to America — I just wanted it to be what I remembered. In order to do that I would have to fill in a lot of gaps, so the only way to do that would be to elaborate. So the whole piece is an elaboration of my mothers life based on the stories that she told me.
LW: What is the meaning behind the title of the book, Babe Elaboratio?
HCJ: My mom was a really educated woman and she was very witty. She had a great command of the English language. So, she was a fan of speaking very simply and plainly. As educated as she was, she was not big into five dollar words. I wanted to do something as a nod to her wit, so I called a friend of mine who is an editor of the American Heritage Dictionary. I actually went to grammar school with him, and I asked him for a conversion of "elaborate" that would have been used in early Roman times. I didn't want a scholarly word for it, I wanted a common vernacular of the day. He said "elaboratio" and I think that my mom would have found that funny because it's a big fancy word that she would have thought was a little over the top.
LW: The tour kicks off on July 3, and with a vast catalog of music to choose from, including jazz, Broadway, soul and so on, how do you decide what goes into the performance? And can we expect to hear that tribute to your mother?
HCJ: I don't really plan out the shows. I just go out and play. I have done this for so long, there are so many songs I recorded and songs that I haven't recorded that we sort of play at the moment. I will tell everyone about Babe Elaboratio because I am celebrating my mom this entire year, being that it was her 100th birthday. In terms of what I decide to play, it depends on the night. I have musicians that can roll with whatever I throw at them, so I just play things that people might enjoy that particular evening.
LW: You haven't played the Chautauqua Institution before. It is a unique venue with a community around it. Have you visited the venue or heard much about its history?
HCJ: I don't know much about it at all, so I am looking forward to learning and experiencing it. I have heard great things.
LW: You started performing at such a young age in a jazz mecca in New Orleans — that must have been both amazing and intimidating as a musician. So what influence does the city still have on you and your playing after all these years?
HCJ: It was amazing and it was intimidating, it was a complex place to grow up because as fun as it was, when you are studying to be a musician and hanging out with people who are better than you it can be, like you said, pretty intimidating at times. In terms of influencing me, those days are over, but I do see things that I like and I am always learning and growing. I am so indebted to that town for shaping me as a person and as a musician. I visit there frequently and it's still a big part of my life.
LW: I have seen the Preservation Hall Jazz band when they are on tour and I can't imagine just being able to walk around and see music like that.
HCJ: As a kid that was what I did all the time, every weekend and when I got older I was just constantly surrounded by that. It's not until you go to other places that you realize that's not in every city — it's a special place to grow up.
Harry Connick Jr will be performing at the Chautauqua Institution on Friday July 17. For tickets and info, visit: chq.org.
It is recommended to show up early due to the distance of parking from the venue and to go through security before entering the grounds.
Larry Wheaton is also an avid music collector and trombone player who loves the history of jazz in New Orleans and all the musicians who have called that place home.
