Monday, Feb. 21, 2005 | 8:16 a.m.
Harry Connick Jr. conceded he was a bit rattled during his Saturday night concert, and not just because his father was in the room.
The 37-year-old vocalist, pianist and bandleader was more shaken by the presence of another man, venerable performer and Las Vegas resident Robert Goulet.
"When you're in the same room as one of your heroes ... it's in my head a bit right now," Connick announced early in his show. "Mr. Robert Goulet is here tonight. I don't know where you are, but as a singer it's not fun to be up here right now."
Goulet, about halfway back in the front-center section of seats at Green Valley Ranch Station Casino's Grand Events Center, rose out of his chair and waved in acknowledgement.
During the remainder of his set, Connick slipped in a few more references to Goulet, even working his name into the lyrics to Fats Domino's "My Blue Heaven."
If Connick truly was distracted by Goulet's presence, though, the crowd of nearly 2,000 couldn't possibly have detected it from his performance.
Exuding his trademark cool confidence, the New Orleans native held fans' attention for every moment of his nearly two-hour show with his music and his showmanship.
The event, the first of two sold-out weekend shows at the venue, was a rare treat for locals. Although his Rat Pack-esque act seems ideally suited for Vegas, Connick rarely plays Southern Nevada, a fact he addressed briefly early in his set.
"I don't play in Las Vegas as much as I would like, but I'm so glad to be here," he said.
Connick then poked a little fun at his surroundings.
"This is a beautiful room ... but I've never seen a stage quite like this. It looks like they'll be handing out high school diplomas after this," he said, apparently referring to the stairs along the left and right sides of the stage.
Connick actually made good use of that audience-accessible feature, using it to bring his father -- retired New Orleans District Attorney Harry Connick -- out of the crowd.
The elder Connick, who typically duets with his son once or twice per tour, delighted the appreciative room with a sweet rendition of "When You're Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You)," a standard covered by Louis Armstrong, Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra, among others.
"Take that Mr. Goulet," the younger Connick said as his father descended back to the floor. "There's two of us."
Later, the younger Connick took advantage of the stairs again by inviting a fan in the front row -- identified as "Mike" -- to teach the 15-piece band's new drummer, Adonis Rose, proper rim-shot technique.
Rose, Connick explained, has yet to grasp proper post-joke etiquette.
He'd better learn in a hurry, as Connick's show was filled with witty one-liners and humorous stories.
"I just came from Malaysia. I looked like a crooning Chia Pet," Connick said, describing his difficulties finding the right hair product. "Then I come here and I look like Ricky Martin on steroids."
And this: "This is jazz music. We make mistakes sometimes. We make great music sometimes. But we're brothers and we always have fun ... unless I make a mistake. Then I turn to gambling and drugs ... I've said too much ... Dad, we need to talk."
Despite his 10-year marriage to model Jill Goodacre, Connick remains a favorite with the ladies, who squealed on cue when he arrived just after 8 p.m.
They shrieked again when he stripped off his black suit-coat and tie and rolled up his sleeves midway through the set, and again when he shook his behind during the comical dance that accompanied encore "Mardi Gras."
Of course, neither Connick's sex appeal nor his charisma would have mattered much if he didn't have the musical chops to back it up. All night, he proved that he did, both as a singer and as a pianist.
Connick effortlessly filled the ballroom with his smooth, expressive voice on a varied program that included pop standards ("Save the Last Dance for Me"), country favorites ("Your Cheating Heart") and New Orleans jazz workouts ("That's A-Plenty").
And he showcased his piano skills during several introspective solos, including a dreamy intro to "All of Me" early in the show.
Connick's band backed him beautifully all night and showed off some serious skills of its own, led by trombonist Lucien Barbarin, who contributed the night's most memorable moment, a spooky, muted solo during "St. James Infirmary."
Trumpeter Leroy Jones added his own improvisational piece to that bluesy number and sang lead vocals on "How Come You Do Me Like You Do," while tenor saxman Jerry Weldon was a key figure all night, even wading through the crowd while soloing during the finale.
When it was all over, Goulet sprung from his chair, spearheading a long, standing ovation. Connick's idol then began moving toward the exits, proclaiming "Good stuff. Goood stuuff!" to the fans around him as he left.
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