Dylan Cover #273 Harry Connick Jr. "It Had To Be You"

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's artists, Harry Connick Jr. doing a cover of "Solid Rock" 

This month we have a special focus on Artists who will be playing the 2017 Jazzfest in New Orleans. Today we highlight New Orleans legend Harry Connick Jr. who will headline the Acura Stage on Friday, April 28th.  (Yup, this week!)

Thoughts on Original:
Ok Ok we know, we are cheating here, we know Dylan didn't write "It Had To Be You". It was written by Isham Jones, with lyrics by Gus Kahn and it was published in 1924. It was famously covered by Sinatra, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald...etc. etc. However, as fans will know the Bard has gone back to old standards for his last three albums and this is one time we can actually post a version of him singing a song (hopefully it won't get taken down):

Now compare that with this version:
Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artists:
Another artist this month we never really liked in the past. RtBE loves New Orleans, the music, history and people are the main reason why. Connick Jr. just never entered our sphere down there. Then we caught the amazing documentary Bayou Maharajah. For those who care at all about the great city of New Orleans and her musical legends you need to see that doc on the life of the late great James Booker. It was one-eye opening...actually bad jokes aside, one of the main things we realized from watching was how truly connected Connick Jr. was to the city. We were ignorant to this fact and we will fess up to that. Among other things, Booker was his piano teacher and you can see the pure joy, respect and passion in Connick Jr's eyes when he talks about his clear musical hero. Yeah HCJr may be a bit to pretty, but any man who learned from Booker needs a ton of respect. Now he has ours as he has the music, history and people of that great city flowing through his fingers.

Thoughts on Cover:
It is a fine cover, love the cartoon like beginning. Nothing bad about it, he sings it well, played it powerfully and joins the long line of solid versions of this tune.