"Stompin' at the Savoy" is a performance of Edgar Sampson's swing-era classic from Harry Connick Jr.'s 1989 soundtrack album When Harry Met Sally..., featuring solos from both Connick on piano and Jeff "Tain" Watts on drums. Connick's four-chorus piano solo at a blazing tempo of 254 beats per minute reveals the formidable technique and deep knowledge of jazz piano history that underpin his musicianship. Raised in New Orleans and trained by the legendary Ellis Marsalis, Connick channels the spirit of the Savoy Ballroom's golden age while infusing his playing with a modern rhythmic vitality. Watts, one of the most celebrated drummers in contemporary jazz known for his work with both Wynton and Branford Marsalis, contributes a single chorus of drum improvisation at an even faster tempo of 267 beats per minute that crackles with explosive energy and rhythmic sophistication. The pairing of Connick and Watts brings a level of jazz authority to the soundtrack that transcends the merely decorative role music often plays in romantic comedies. The 32-bar AABA form provides a familiar structural framework that both musicians navigate with the kind of ease and invention that comes from deep immersion in the jazz tradition. This track, more than perhaps any other on the album, demonstrates that Connick's jazz credentials extended well beyond his considerable vocal charm.
