When Portland Met Harry

Harry Connick Jr.’s visit here as summer opens links Maine’s Acadians with the Cajuns of Connick’s native New Orleans. We caught up with him for some impressions.

By Olivia Gunn Kotsishevskaya

How do you connect with audiences in different regions? Portland and New Orleans are so far apart, but the Acadian/Cajun connection draws us together.

Portland is great. Audiences are unique–individual people. I try to connect with them. That determines the show. New Orleans is pretty laid back [by comparison]. It might have to do with the weather down there. But we have a great musical culture, an incredible restaurant scene, Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest. We’re celebrating our tricentennial.

This issue includes a story on Emeril Lagasse. Did you know he worked in Maine before he went to New Orleans?

That’s very cool.

Many may consider the soundtrack for When Harry Met Sally as your big break, what do you think it was?

I had a big break when I signed to Columbia Records when I was 19, but in terms of propelling me to a national and international spotlight, it was When Harry Met Sally. After I did that music, I became visible to a lot of people.

Do actors make better musicians, or do musicians make better actors?

You can’t really say. The only thing you can say about music is that there are probably more finite things that you need to know how to do if you’re a musician than if you’re an actor. That’s a dangerous thing to say, but we all know how to speak, we all have emotions, and those are the basic tools for actors. Whereas if you play an instrument, you have to know about something–where to put your hands on the guitar or on the keyboard.

How does a mega talent stay down-to-earth?

My parents raised me and my sister in such a way that we have our heads on straight. We respect our elders; we have strong faith and good work ethics. Life is too short to get caught up in the silly things that don’t have any worth. I love my career and love the things that accompany being successful, but ultimately my family and friends are paramount in my life. It’s not like they keep me grounded because that’s just like breathing. It’s something so integral to who I am, and everything else comes after that.

Which one of Sinatra’s “suicide songs” is your favorite?

He did an album called Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely. The title track to that is one of the most remarkable vocals you’ll ever hear, and it was accompanied by an orchestration done by Nelson Riddle. It’s just a very high level of American music, about as high as you can get. If you put on some headphones and sit back and listen to how he sings, the heartbreak of those lyrics is very powerful.