Romance has its own language, its own rhythms, and its own music. The first two are captured with masterful subtlety in Rob Reiner’s bittersweet film comedy, "When Harry Met Sally…" As for the music, Reiner turned to the phenomenal young singer/pianist Harry Connick, Jr., to define the melodic contours of love. On the soundtrack album, When Harry Met Sally… Harry performs ten magnificent standards of American song with his customary wit and panache. "When Harry Met Sally…," starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan in the title roles, tells the hilarious yet intimate story of two people who learn that friendship must come before love and sex. Spanning eleven years, several reruns of "Casablanca," many marathon phone calls, and countless tear-stained tissues, the story’s warmth and humor are given added dimension by the music of Harry. In the film, several songs are performed by various musical legends, including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, and Ray Charles as well as Harry. On the soundtrack album Harry takes center stage turning in a tour-de-force performance of every song, confirming the high praise he has earned. According to Rob Reiner, "Even though this was a modern-day love story, I wanted to give it a timeless feeling, so I was going to use standards like ‘It Had To Be You’ and ‘Our Love is Here to Stay.’" Once Reiner discovered the artistry of Harry Connick, Jr., he resolved to have him on the film’s soundtrack. Co-produced by Marc Shaiman and Harry, the film’s music adapter and arranger, When Harry Met Sally… plays like a classic American songbook. Among the greats Harry performs on the album are George Gershwin’s "Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off" and "But Not For Me," Rodgers and Hart’s "Where Or When" and "I Could Write A Book," and Duke Ellington’s "Don’t get Around Much Anymore," "Stompin’ At The Savoy," "Winter Wonderland," and "Autumn in New York." The film’s opening and closing credit theme, "It Had To Be You," is one of the album’s definitive highlights, with both a big band and piano trio version. The soundtrack also marks the first time in Harry's recording career that he’s worked with a big band and orchestra. Arrangements and orchestration on "It Had To Be You," "Where Or When," "I Could Write A Book" and "But Not For Me" are by Harry and Shaiman. Other songs were performed as piano/vocal solos, or with Harry's trio featuring Benjamin Jonah Wolfe on bass and Jeff "Tain" Watts on drums. Also appearing on the album are tenor saxophonist Frank Wess and guitarist Joy Berliner. In every case, Harry's evocative vocals and engagingly quirky piano style lend credence to these comments from Downbeat, regarding Harry Connick, Jr.: "Jazz musicians are beginning to talk about his talents, his clean clear touch, his ability to swing, and his fresh fiery approach." Still so young, there is no telling how far a talent like Harry may go. For now, When Harry Met Sally… will no doubt fortify the ever-growing acclaim for Harry Connick, Jr. and his luminous musical talent. "When Harry Met Sally…" is a Rob Reiner film from Castle Rock Entertainment, starring Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher, and Bruno Kirby. It was written by Nora Ephron ("Silkwood" and "Heartburn,") directed by Rob Reiner, and co-produced by Reiner and Andrew Scheinman. The film is distributed by Columbia Pictures. This astonishingly successful soundtrack went to #1 on the Billboard Traditional Jazz Chart. In the process, it also became that all-too-rare jazz record to pique interest in the mainstream, bulleting inside the Top 50 on the Pop Album Chart. Harry’s sterling performance won the Grammy Award for "Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male." Rolling Stone critics went on to name Harry "Best Jazz Act" in the magazine’s 1989 Music Awards. And the Boston Phoenix proclaimed Harry, "Best National Jazz Artist" in its annual Readers Poll. Musicians Harry Connick Jr. - Vocals, Piano Benjamin Jonah Wolfe - Bass Jeff "Tain" Watts - Drums Frank Wess - Tenor Sax Jay Berliner - Acoustic Guitar Marc Shaiman - Piano Production Credits Album produced by Marc Shaiman and Harry Connick, Jr. Production Assistants - Jeff Scott and Ann Marie Wilkins Recorded at RCA Studio B in New York City on June 6, 12 & 19, 1989 Mixed and edited at CBS Studios by Marc Shaiman and Harry Connick, Jr. Chief Recording and Mixing Engineer - Tim Geelan Second Recording Engineer - Dennis Ferrante