Music Review: Nat King Cole - To Whom It May Concern (Reissue)

This never leaves this room, okay? As a little boy, I used to imagine myself as quite the ladies’ man. Using my sleigh bed as a fairly elaborate convertible, I used to imagine myself at old-time drive-in movies watching some sort of classic romance with my sweetheart’s head on my shoulder.

On the way home, I’d turn on some music and we’d drift off towards the horizon as the words “The End” emblazoned themselves on the film in my mind. Sometimes a straggly-looking Bugs Bunny doll doubled as my date. The conversation almost always went to Elmer Fudd for some reason.

Fast forward a couple of decades and my amorous side hasn’t waned a bit. Every so often, my wife and I put life on hold, light a candle or two, and have a romantic dinner in while music plays in the background. It’s no convertible trip to the drive-in (our Subaru doesn’t quite do it), but it’s romance for us. When I think about a soundtrack to such an evening, Nat King Cole almost always springs to mind; He did in the Bugs Bunny days, and he does now.

Cole’s 1959 recording, To Whom It May Concern (beautifully reissued by Collector’s Choice), is one of his finest soundtracks for a dreamy evening in, or a trip out in a make-believe convertible. The cover, showing Cole sitting in a park while couples stroll by, is indicative of the feel of the album. Nat King Cole is our guide to romance.

The title track was featured in the MGM-production Night of the Quarter Moon, but missed the singles market. In fact, all of the recordings on this album missed the charts and weren’t packaged as individual releases, despite the commercial feel of most of the songs. Cole’s pairing with some of the greatest writers and composers (Marvin Fisher, Johnny Burke, Sammy Cahn, Paul Wetson) make To Whom It May Concern a terrifically impressive album.

“There’s nothing to say, except that I need you too much,” Nat intones on “Too Much,” one my favourite tracks. A bonus track, “Coo Coo Roo Paloma,” is a lovely Mexican folk song about sending a dove to carry a message to a lover, and “Lovesville” is a head-swaying little ditty perfect for a starry night.

To Whom It May Concern isn’t the most popular Nat King Cole recording in the catalogue, but for serious fans and curious newcomers, it represents another strong effort in the baritone’s incredible career. It’s the perfect album for romantic dinners and nighttime drives - real or pretend.

Article Author: Jordan Richardson

Jordan Richardson is a Canadian freelance writer and ne'er-do-well. He writes stuff here and here.

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