Harry Connick Jr. And Bobby McFerrin Shine At Ellington Fundraiser

11/04/1999 10:00 AM, Yahoo! Music
Craig Rosen

(11/4/99, 10 a.m. ET) - Harry Connick Jr. and Bobby McFerrin joined forces with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra at New York's Avery Fisher Hall on Monday (Nov. 1) for the fundraising event, "Love You Madly."

Hosted by CBS News correspondent Ed Bradley, the awards gala and all-Duke Ellington program was attended by an array of celebrities, including Cicely Tyson, Bobby Short, Stephanie Seymour, Vera Wang, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, and former New York City Mayor David Dinkins.

Jazz At Lincoln Center Awards were given to Verve Records founder Norman Granz and John Lewis, pianist and composer of the Modern Jazz Quartet. Lewis, who rarely performs, surprised the audience by accepting his award and then leading the LCJO in Ellington's "C-Jam Blues." Pianist Oscar Peterson accepted the award for Granz, who is ill.

Connick joined the fun by taking the piano and playing "Perdido." He then sang "I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good." McFerrin matched Connick with a winning performance of "Prelude To A Kiss" and "Caravan," the latter full of fiery scatting and exciting wordplay.

Also on the bill were two of the original vocalists from the Ellington big-band era. Joya Sherrill's rich voice shone on "Mood Indigo" and "I'm Beginning To See The Light," while Milt Grayson was resplendent on "Love You Madly" and "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me."

-- Ken Micallef, New York

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