Harry Connick

They call him the next Harry Connick Jr. But that doesn't sit well with John Pizzarelli."Two young guys with big bands," says the 32-year-old jazz guitarist and singer from New Jersey. "I don't get angry about it. But I honestly think it stops after two young guys singing with big bands. He's doing his own music. I'm more in the tradition of where I came from."Where Mr. Pizzarelli came from has a lot to do with his success -- seven albums, including two for RCA Records, and opening performances for the Benny Goodman Sextet.

Dolphins are so cute that many kids wish they could have them as pets. These marine cuties are too big for the home aquarium, so kids will have to content themselves with watching pint-sized characters nurse an injured dolphin back to health in "Dolphin Tale. " This family-oriented movie is so squarely pitched at very young viewers that their adult guardians may find themselves losing count of how many thuddingly obvious life lessons are imparted along the way. It's such a sweet-natured example of cinematic therapy that older viewers are likely to get over any reservations about its thematic obviousness and end up liking it too. Although it's based on an actual case involving a dolphin that lost its tail and had to learn to live with an ingeniously crafted prosthetic tail, "Dolphin Tale" has been amply fitted with enough dramatic elements to ensure that it works as an inspirational tale.

As the Columbia Festival of the Arts wraps up this weekend, you'll have a few more chances to catch some world-class performances. Whether you're drawn to music, dance or theater, the tail end of the 10-day festival offers lots of fun. Now in its 17th year, the festival is attended by more than 35,000 people and is recognized as one of the area's premier summer arts events. The final weekend includes a return to LakeFest with an array of hands-on activities and the first Kinetic Art Parade.

Last week, Shrek The Third, another in a series of popular animation films, opened in theaters. What's your favorite fairy-tale movie and why? WHAT YOU SAY My favorite fairy-tale movie? Well, there was Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Little Mermaid, Pocahontas ... I could go on and on, but my favorite was The Lion King. The animation was perfect, as were the voice-over characters, but the story line was so poignant which made the entire movie quite unforgettable. Freda Garelick, Baltimore My all-time favorite is, and always will be, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Last week, Shrek The Third, another in a series of popular animation films, opened in theaters. What's your favorite fairy-tale movie and why? WHAT YOU SAY My favorite fairy-tale movie? Well, there was Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Little Mermaid, Pocahontas ... I could go on and on, but my favorite was The Lion King. The animation was perfect, as were the voice-over characters, but the story line was so poignant which made the entire movie quite unforgettable. Freda Garelick, Baltimore My all-time favorite is, and always will be, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

SHINE ONPink Floyd (Columbia 53180)By their nature, boxed sets promise impressive packaging, but few have ever matched the extravagance of Pink Floyd's "Shine On." As if assembling eight of the Floyd's best-known albums in a single box weren't enough, the group rounds out the set with a disc of early singles (including the Syd Barrett classics "Arnold Layne" and "See Emily Play"), a set of album-art postcards, and a cloth-bound, 112-page book. But as nice as those bonuses are, the real reason to own this set is the sound, which delivers the band's spectacular soundscapes in exquisite detail, from the psychedelic splatter of "Meddle" to the headphone head-trips of "Dark Side of the Moon," to the high-concept dramatics of "The Wall."

NO MORE TEARSOzzy Osbourne (Epic 46795)After all the years Ozzy Osbourne spent as a bat-biting bozo, it may seem impossible to take this heavy metal icon seriously, but "No More Tears" ought to change a few minds. Ozzy hasn't changed his sound all that much, as most songs still revolve around his inimitable squeal and Zakk Wylde's screaming guitar, but his songs are sharper and more incisive this time around. Sure, he addresses the dark side on tunes like "Mr. Tinkertrain," but he also has fun with his devilish image, goofing on his reputation in "Zombie Stomp" and "Hellraiser."

"Hope Floats," an idiosyncratic romance starring Sandra Bullock, presents anyone recently dragged to "Deep Impact" or "Godzilla" with that priceless piece of cultural currency during the testosterone-driven summer season: The Chit. A date movie of the first order, "Hope Floats" provides perfect compensation for anyone who has dutifully done time at any number of action pictures in recent weeks. If it succumbs to the sugary traps endemic to the genre and occasionally lapses into being too self-consciously wacky, "Hope Floats" still manages to inject more originality than usual into the hearts-and-flowers format.

'The Barrister Speaks' Charles Carroll, barrister, one of Maryland's first senators and one of the men who helped draft the state's constitution, returns to his home, Mount Clare Mansion, Sunday to read the Declaration of Independence. After listening to Carroll, who is portrayed by Alan Gephardt, docents will guide you through the mansion, Maryland's first Museum House. Light refreshments, giving visitors a "taste of the time," will be provided by the mansion's Colonial kitchen. The program starts at 1 p.m. Admission is $6, $5 seniors, $3 students, $1 children under 12. Mount Clare is in Carroll Park, 1500 Washington Blvd.

SHEHarry Connick Jr. (Columbia 64376)After presenting himself as the Great White Hope for Sinatra-style pop on his last several albums, Harry Connick Jr. will undoubtedly leave a lot of his listeners puzzled and &r disappointed with "She." Instead of the suave, big band sound he essayed on "We Are in Love" and "When Harry Met Sally . . . ," this new album opts for a funky New Orleans-style groove -- an approach Connick claims is actually closer to his roots. Maybe so; after all, he does seem to have a genuine affection for the music of the Meters and the late James Booker.

As the Columbia Festival of the Arts wraps up this weekend, you'll have a few more chances to catch some world-class performances. Whether you're drawn to music, dance or theater, the tail end of the 10-day festival offers lots of fun. Now in its 17th year, the festival is attended by more than 35,000 people and is recognized as one of the area's premier summer arts events. The final weekend includes a return to LakeFest with an array of hands-on activities and the first Kinetic Art Parade.

'The Barrister Speaks' Charles Carroll, barrister, one of Maryland's first senators and one of the men who helped draft the state's constitution, returns to his home, Mount Clare Mansion, Sunday to read the Declaration of Independence. After listening to Carroll, who is portrayed by Alan Gephardt, docents will guide you through the mansion, Maryland's first Museum House. Light refreshments, giving visitors a "taste of the time," will be provided by the mansion's Colonial kitchen. The program starts at 1 p.m. Admission is $6, $5 seniors, $3 students, $1 children under 12. Mount Clare is in Carroll Park, 1500 Washington Blvd.

At first glance, "Hope Floats" doesn't look like a revolutionary film.The romantic drama stars Sandra Bullock and Harry Connick Jr., both young, attractive and appealing. Its setting is the all-American town of Smithville, Texas. Its subject matter - a young wife who comes to terms with a philandering husband by returning to her small hometown - doesn't exactly sizzle with controversy. And the film's director, Forest Whitaker, is a proven master of the "chick flick," having shepherded Terry McMillan's best-selling romantic novel "Waiting to Exhale" to the screen and big box-office returns.

"Hope Floats," an idiosyncratic romance starring Sandra Bullock, presents anyone recently dragged to "Deep Impact" or "Godzilla" with that priceless piece of cultural currency during the testosterone-driven summer season: The Chit. A date movie of the first order, "Hope Floats" provides perfect compensation for anyone who has dutifully done time at any number of action pictures in recent weeks. If it succumbs to the sugary traps endemic to the genre and occasionally lapses into being too self-consciously wacky, "Hope Floats" still manages to inject more originality than usual into the hearts-and-flowers format.

SHEHarry Connick Jr. (Columbia 64376)After presenting himself as the Great White Hope for Sinatra-style pop on his last several albums, Harry Connick Jr. will undoubtedly leave a lot of his listeners puzzled and &r disappointed with "She." Instead of the suave, big band sound he essayed on "We Are in Love" and "When Harry Met Sally . . . ," this new album opts for a funky New Orleans-style groove -- an approach Connick claims is actually closer to his roots. Maybe so; after all, he does seem to have a genuine affection for the music of the Meters and the late James Booker.

They call him the next Harry Connick Jr. But that doesn't sit well with John Pizzarelli."Two young guys with big bands," says the 32-year-old jazz guitarist and singer from New Jersey. "I don't get angry about it. But I honestly think it stops after two young guys singing with big bands. He's doing his own music. I'm more in the tradition of where I came from."Where Mr. Pizzarelli came from has a lot to do with his success -- seven albums, including two for RCA Records, and opening performances for the Benny Goodman Sextet.

On The Weekend Watch:WHAT'S YOUR GAME? -- Whew! Sports activities of wide variety are chewing up huge chunks of the viewing schedule this weekend. First up, of course, are the early games of the annual basketball odyssey of the NCAA Tournament, and CBS/Channel is the locale for a numbing total of 15 games through Sunday, with Billy Packer heading the broadcast teams. Doubleheader game times are at noon and 8 p.m. today and Friday; marathon games begin at noon on Saturday (four) and Sunday (three)

Dolphins are so cute that many kids wish they could have them as pets. These marine cuties are too big for the home aquarium, so kids will have to content themselves with watching pint-sized characters nurse an injured dolphin back to health in "Dolphin Tale. " This family-oriented movie is so squarely pitched at very young viewers that their adult guardians may find themselves losing count of how many thuddingly obvious life lessons are imparted along the way. It's such a sweet-natured example of cinematic therapy that older viewers are likely to get over any reservations about its thematic obviousness and end up liking it too. Although it's based on an actual case involving a dolphin that lost its tail and had to learn to live with an ingeniously crafted prosthetic tail, "Dolphin Tale" has been amply fitted with enough dramatic elements to ensure that it works as an inspirational tale.

SHINE ONPink Floyd (Columbia 53180)By their nature, boxed sets promise impressive packaging, but few have ever matched the extravagance of Pink Floyd's "Shine On." As if assembling eight of the Floyd's best-known albums in a single box weren't enough, the group rounds out the set with a disc of early singles (including the Syd Barrett classics "Arnold Layne" and "See Emily Play"), a set of album-art postcards, and a cloth-bound, 112-page book. But as nice as those bonuses are, the real reason to own this set is the sound, which delivers the band's spectacular soundscapes in exquisite detail, from the psychedelic splatter of "Meddle" to the headphone head-trips of "Dark Side of the Moon," to the high-concept dramatics of "The Wall."

NO MORE TEARSOzzy Osbourne (Epic 46795)After all the years Ozzy Osbourne spent as a bat-biting bozo, it may seem impossible to take this heavy metal icon seriously, but "No More Tears" ought to change a few minds. Ozzy hasn't changed his sound all that much, as most songs still revolve around his inimitable squeal and Zakk Wylde's screaming guitar, but his songs are sharper and more incisive this time around. Sure, he addresses the dark side on tunes like "Mr. Tinkertrain," but he also has fun with his devilish image, goofing on his reputation in "Zombie Stomp" and "Hellraiser."