Harry Connick, Jr.: 30

Initially derided by purists as a shameless Sinatra knockoff, then propelled to superstardom by his pleasant work on 1989's When Harry Met Sally soundtrack, one-time prodigy Harry Connick Jr. quickly garnered respect by showcasing his considerable versatility. In recent years, he's periodically allowed rock and New Orleans funk diversions to replace more conventional swing and jazz-pop standards, an admirably iconoclastic path that sometimes leads back to the reassuring comforts of adult-contemporary albums like 30. Sticking primarily to soothing standards—it was recorded four years ago, but sounds suitably ageless—and leaning heavily on Wynton Marsalis-aided piano instrumentals like the seven-minute (!) "Somewhere My Love," the disc is a soothing audio balm sure to please When Harry Met Sally diehards turned off by the singer/actor's stylistic left turns. Connick plays to a similarly undemanding crowd on the concurrently released children's record Songs I Heard, but he ironically takes many more creative risks throughout. Loosening up his arrangements for playful interpretations of songs from the likes of Mary Poppins, Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory, and The Wizard Of Oz, Songs I Heard is far more musically and thematically diverse than 30, though understandably uneven by comparison. It's hard to imagine a lot of kids digging into the slogging ballad "Maybe" (from Annie), but that track neatly encapsulates the way Connick aims to please both crowds and his own restless impulses. The staid and unchallenging 30 is sure to find a larger audience, and that's fine, but Songs I Heard seems to exist in order to remind fans that for Connick, music without surprises is a detour rather than a destination.