Connick Shuns Media but Has No Lack of Confidence

A wizened jazz veteran at 22, Harry Connick Jr. has already enjoyed more success than most of his idols. While jazzmen generally love media attention, Connick wasn’t available to local writers before his San Diego shows this Sunday at Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay at 7 and 9 p.m.

Apparently he doesn’t need the publicity. Buoyed by the tremendous popularity of his sound track album for the movie “When Harry Met Sally” last year (more than 700,000 copies sold to date), Connick appeared headed at press time for an easy sellout of both shows. The movie tie-in, his third album, won him a Grammy for Best Male Vocal.

Lacking in confidence he’s not. In an interview once, he named fellow pianists Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea as important influences, but said he eventually “discarded” them “because I could play like them,” and moved on to Thelonious Monk and others.

Connick considers himself a jazz pianist in the tradition of Duke Ellington, Erroll Garner and Art Tatum, and he gets air time on jazz radio stations including KSDS-FM in San Diego. But his popularity is due as much to his talents as a passable vocal clone of Frank Sinatra and, especially, as a showman who knows how to work an audience.

This Sunday, Connick will perform with both a Big Band and trio; a publicist reported he will spend more time singing and schmoozing than playing piano.

Two new Connick albums hit the racks this week: an instrumental trio session featuring all original material titled “Lofty’s Roach Souffle,” and a Big Band album titled “We Are In Love.” Also out this week is a 45-minute Connick video titled “Singin’ and Swingin’.”

Not content to confine his talents to music and video, Connick stars as a tail gunner in a David Puttman-produced war movie titled “Memphis Belle,” scheduled for September release.

Saxophonist Chico Freeman became a force in the Chicago avant-garde jazz scene of the 1970s with such players as Muhal Richard Abrams, going on to New York where, in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, he worked with talents such as Elvin Jones and Sam Rivers. Since then, he’s led groups including bassist Cecil McBee, drummers Jack DeJohnette and Billy Hart, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and vocalist Bobby McFerrin. With such an eclectic background, Freeman, who opened five nights at Elario’s Wednesday night, brings a refreshing burst of cutting-edge creativity to the generally conservative club. Besides tenor and soprano saxes, Freeman plays flute and bass clarinet. Joining him are locals Randy Porter on piano, Bob Magnusson on bass and Jim Plank on drums. The rhythm section is fresh off last week’s dates with cantankerous singer Anita O’Day, who disappointed audiences with her well-lubricated sets and gave the musicians a few tongue lashings.

In another move, Elario’s will try to drum up some action on Monday and Tuesday nights, traditionally slow, with a new series of shows featuring top jazz artists swinging south as tours take them through Los Angeles. First up is Azymuth, July 31, followed by jazz trombonist Ray Anderson, whose last two albums have been praised by Downbeat magazine, on Aug. 6 and 7. Also coming are singer Gil Scott-Heron (Aug. 13 and 14), flutist Dave Valentin (Aug. 20 and 21) and the Louis Hayes Quintet (Aug. 27 and 28).

KIFM’s Sunday night “Straightahead” jazz program, formerly hosted by Jim Merod, has been on hold, but it goes back on the air later this month with KSDS-FM’s Ron Galon as new host. The show is sponsored by Elario’s, where Galon has served as emcee the last several weeks. Rob Hagey, who replaced Steve Satkowski as talent coordinator at Elario’s, takes over Satkowski’s former role as producer of the radio show.

Back by popular demand is a third train tour through San Diego County’s back country to the sounds of live Dixieland jazz. The July 15 event, organized by jazz lover Harvey LeBow, begins with a picnic lunch at 1 p.m outside the San Diego Railroad Museum in Campo in East County, followed by the musical train ride to rugged points east, and a 4 p.m. barbecue back at the Oak Tree Inn, near the museum. Tickets are $8, including dinner. Information: 571-5450, after 5 p.m.

RIFFS: While saxophonist Hollis Gentry has been busy on the road with guitar wiz Larry Carlton, his local band, Neon, has split off on its own as True Stories. . . .

Cafe Lautrec in La Jolla, which had featured solo pianists such as Mike Wofford, Daniel Jackson and Rocky Cole six days a week at lunchtime, had its piano hauled away last week to make room for more tables. . . .

KSDS-FM (88.3) presents blues singers Janice Edwards and Earl Thomas in a free concert Tuesday at 8 p.m. in the San Diego City College Theatre downtown at 15th and C. Edwards, whose roots are in gospel, has worked with Parliament/Funkadelic; Thomas has released a locally produced album titled “I Sing the Blues”. . . .

Michael Paulo, singer Al Jarreau’s saxophonist, plays KIFM’s “Rising Star Concert” at The Catamaran next Wednesday. . . .

Pianist Cedar Walton and drummer Billy Higgins are the featured players on KPBS-TV’s “Club Date” program Saturday night at 11, repeating Monday night at 11:30. . . .

Tonight through Saturday night at the B Street Cafe & Bar downtown, it’s electric jazz with Most Valuable Players. . . .

Flutist Holly Hofmann works Friday night with guitarist/vocalist Ron Satterfield and Saturday night with L.A. pianist Joanne Grauer in the Horton Grand Hotel’s Palace Bar. . . .

This Sunday’s 7 p.m. “Le Jazz Club” program on KSDS-FM features Dutch pianist/composer Diederik Wissels. . . .

Multi-instrumentalist Bryan (Marimba Mike) Jackson will perform his original composition “People of the Lake,” with its roots in nature and primitive African culture, Friday and Saturday nights at 8 at Ruse Performance Gallery, 447 Fifth Ave. downtown; for the second set each night, Jackson will be joined by bass clarinet man Zopilote and special guests from the Percussion Ensemble of Tijuana.