Harry Connick Jr.

It certainly seems as though the local jazz scene’s center of gravity is shifting west, what with the Dakota’s reported plan to relocate to Minneapolis in the fall, and this brand-new club on Ninth and Marquette. (St. Paul, never fear, will still have the AQ and its own new blood, Brilliant Corners.) The Blue Star Room makes its bid for major-player status by snaring Connick, who’s still cranking out high-quality music despite his Hollywood success. His new disc, Other Hours, consists of material he wrote originally for a flopped Broadway show, Thou Shalt Not. Be aware that both CD and live show are instrumental-only—which shouldn’t be too much of a deterrent given his skill on piano. Fans of his acting, you can wait for the new TV season, when he returns on Will & Grace. Rossi’s, 90 S. Ninth St., (612) 312-2828, http://www.bluestarjazz.com