The exceptional 28-song The World of Nat King Cole is a compact career retrospective and best-of package simultaneously celebrating one of the finest, swingingest jazz pianists AND pop vocalists of the 20th century. The collection, which benefits the VH1 Save the Music Foundation, is coming out January 25 to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Cole's tragically early death at 45 from lung cancer.
Nat King Cole’s (1919-65) career followed a similar path to that of Louis Armstrong in that both began as jazz innovators and ended up as beloved popular entertainers. When each died, many fans weren’t even aware of their heroes’ early jazz lives. Cole was born in Alabama, grew up in Chicago, and lived in L.A.'s Hancock Park most of his adult life with his wife Maria and five children.
His piano style was known for its flow, wit, and rhythmic drive. By the time Cole signed to Capitol Records in ‘44 (his 150 charting singles is still a record for the label, which became known as "The House That Nat Built"), his Trio (with Oscar Moore on guitar and Wesley Prince on bass) was a West Coast jazz legend. Their first hit together was the swingin’, jivey Cole composition “Straighten Up and Fly Right” (ironically taken from an admonition from his Baptist minister father to forsake the music biz).
As the ‘40s progressed Cole began to move into the vocal pop (the great “Christmas Song” with strings - inexplicably not included here - was recorded in ‘46) that would carry him to the very top of the entertainment world as his incomparably warm, humane, quietly self-possessed voice mellowed and matured. The singer gave cigarettes credit for his tone - they exacted the heaviest of tolls in return.
There are many Cole songs that are essential (“Nature Boy,” “Mona Lisa,” “Unforgettable,” “L-O-V-E,” "Smile"), but the Bobby Troup-penned “(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66” from 1946 combines the swanky best of the Trio with a pleasing portion of the sweetness that was to come. “Route 66” is perhaps the perfect nexus of the divergent arrows of Cole’s career.
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Article comments
1 - godoggo
It's often forgotten what a visionary pianist he was. No other pre-modern player stood closer to the bop precipice - indeed, the whole trio still sounds remarkably hip to my ears. Also, I have an excellent radio broadcast he did with Bird, and I believe they recorded together for Jazz at the Phil.
2 - Eric Olsen
thanks GDG, you are a fount of jazzy info and fine taste
3 - Temple Stark
Got this up on Advance.net, Eric - I deleted some of the streaming audio bits for there - if that's wrong tell me.
4 - jackson
I think that you guys should tell more information like where he died!!!
5 - jackson
I think that you guys should give more information about Nat King Cole like where he was born!!!!!
6 - Eric Olsen
Jackson, I quote myself from above:
"Cole was born in Alabama, grew up in Chicago, and lived in L.A.'s Hancock Park most of his adult life with his wife Maria and five children."
That about sums it up