One of the best known jazz performers of the 21st century, Harry Connick Jr. is famous as a singer, bandleader and actor, although his piano playing tends to be a bit underrated.

Here is Connick early in his career, back in the late 1980s, performing a solo version of “Avalon.”

Harry Connick Jr. takes the swing standard for quite a ride, displaying a Thelonious Monk influence, giving the song a New Orleans parade rhythm with his feet, showing the inspiration of James Booker, and driving the piece to a rollicking finish.

-Scott Yanow