Born in New Orleans on September 11, 1967, Connick studied music with Ellis Marsalis at the New Orleans Center For Creative Arts, and the freewheeling spirit of the Crescent City is apparent on his self-titled debut from 1987. Things really took off for him in 1989; 20, Connick's second album, garnered a great deal of critical praise for his abilities as a jazz pianist, while his smooth vocal contributions to the When Harry Met Sally soundtrack had folks hailing him as a second Sinatra. Unfortunately, the praise went directly to his head; over the next few years, he released a series of increasingly stilted and embarrassing vocal albums, pausing only to take supporting roles in movies, provide fodder for the gossip tabloids and make instrumental records that highlighted the rapid decline of his piano technique. His recent tour with "Harry Connick, Jr. & His Funk Band" was further indication that the cat had completely lost the plot.

Of course, Connick could care less about what the critics say; wealthier at age 29 than most jazz (or rock) musicians will ever be, and married to Victoria's Secret lingerie model Jill Goodacre, he can happily futz around for the rest of his life without worrying about album sales or negative reviews. The release of 1996's Star Turtle, a goofy concept album about an amphibious extraterrestrial, is heartening; it's nice, at least, to see Connick taking himself less seriously.