This is not a bad thing either.

She is a venture into old territory for Connick, but likely new territory for his fans. Critics and opinionated journalists are calling the "new" sound "bayou funk" straight from the soulful streets of New Orleans.

"This is the music I've played my whole life," Connick told a Los Angeles reporter.

She is fresh, groovy and fun, with a side of darkness. I expected to miss the snappy tunes like "Recipe for Love" and "It Had To Be You," but when they were replaced with songs like "That Party," a funky '70s tune that at times borders on spoken word, and "Here Comes the Big Parade," an ode to Mardi Gras, I felt no disappointment. She offers more variety than some of Connick's previous releases, which seem to shift from "slow songs" to "faster songs." Bongos, wakka guitar licks, an organ and some classic horn and piano parts make this CD a variety pack of tunes.

Interesting lyrics, written by Ramsey McLean, help tie She together as a work. In a phone interview, Connick said he met McLean about 13 years ago when Connick was playing piano and McLean was playing bass in a New Orleans band. The two musicians kept in touch over the years, and since then, McLean has become more interested in the lyrical part of songwriting.

"He's amazing," Connick told me.

In an interview with the Boston Globe, Connick told about McLean's role in the recording of She.

"He has a big book of poems that he'd written. I'd see one that I liked and I'd say, 'What do you guys think of this?' And I'd...pick out a melody, and that was really it. We'd roll the tape and that was the end of it."

I asked Connick about this method of recording compared to his previous albums of more big band style, arranged songs. He said he always tries to go into the studio without too many expectations about what might happen.

"Too much planning makes a boring album," he said. "That's what creativity is, I think, just playing. If it's not there, cancel the session."

Connick's not making any predictions about the next album.

"It's all experimentation," he said.

Apart from music, I asked about his wife, Victoria's Secret model Jill Goodacre and her appearance on NBC's Friends (one of my favorite shows).

"She did a marvelous job," the loyal husband said, adding that Goodacre has a lot to offer and is further pursuing her acting career. Connick has also expanded his acting resume in a forthcoming film starring Holly Hunter and Sigourney Weaver called Copycat.

And just in case you are curious: Harry uses gel, not mousse.

"It's too puffy," he said.

So now you know.

Sunday's show starts at 8 p.m.