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Freddy Cole

Lionel Frederick Cole was born on October 15, 1931, the youngest of Edward and Paulina Nancy Cole's five children. His three elder brothers, Eddie, Ike and Nat (twelve years Freddy's senior) were all musicians.

"I started playing piano at five or six," Freddy remembers. "Music was all around me." In the Chicago home of his youth, visitors included Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Lionel Hampton. He also credits Billy Eckstine as a major influence. " He was a fantastic entertainer," Freddy recalls. " I learned so much from just watching and being around him." After a possible career with the NFL was shelved due to a hand injury, he began playing and singing in Chicago clubs as a teenager. Although he was ready to hit the road at 18, his mother intervened and he continued his musical education at the Roosevelt Institute in Chicago.

Freddy moved to New York in 1951, where he studied at the Juilliard School of Music and found himself profoundly influenced by John Lewis, Oscar Peterson and Teddy Wilson. He got a Master's degree at the New England Conservatory of Music and then spent several months on the road as a member of an Earl Bostic band that also included Johnny Coles and Benny Golson.

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Radio & Podcasts

A Turntable for One Fourth of July Celebration

Read "A Turntable for One Fourth of July Celebration" reviewed by H William Stine


What did you do for the Fourth of July? I celebrated with some traditional songs, plus the Buddy Rich Big Band for fireworks, Laverne Butler with a declaration of independence, tributes to Freddy Cole, Johnny Mandel, and Jim Pepper, and songs by Dave Frishberg, Randy Newman in celebration of the First Amendment. Looks like I'll be around all summer this year. Check back frequently. PlaylistCody Owen Stine “Paris Mismatch (Theme Music)" from (Unreleased Master) (Self-Produced) 00:00 Rene Marie ...

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Profile

Freddy Cole Leaves The Stage

Read "Freddy Cole Leaves The Stage" reviewed by Martin McFie


Freddy Cole died 27th June, 2020 after a career of almost seventy years singing and playing piano. He was 88 years old. Born Lionel Frederick Cole in jny:Chicago, October 15, 1931, Freddy Cole was younger brother to Eddie, Ike and Nat “King" Cole. Mr. Freddy was a late night cabaret singer, with impeccable phrasing and timing. He studied at Juilliard School of Music from 1951, and at The New England Conservatory of Music. He had some initial success with Whispering ...

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Live Review

Freddy Cole at The Jazz Corner

Read "Freddy Cole at The Jazz Corner" reviewed by Martin McFie


Freddy Cole at the Jazz Corner Hilton Head Island South Carolina October 19-20, 2018 Freddy Cole turned 87 years of age on October 15th, 2018 and played The Jazz Corner the next weekend. He is not so spry now, but he still completed his world tour again this year, including Australia and Japan, with his grandson Tracy to keep him company. He first came to Hilton Head in 1972 in his ...

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Album Review

Freddy Cole: The Dreamer In Me

Read "The Dreamer In Me" reviewed by Marcia Hillman


This CD ably captures Freddy Cole in a live set at New York”s Dizzy's Club Coca Cola, from February 2008. Cole sings his way through a selection of non-overdone material, accompanying himself on piano on five of the tracks (the remaining piano chores delightfully handled by John DiMartino). The rest of the band includes Jerry Weldon on tenor saxophone, guitarist Randy Napoleon, bassist Elias Bailey and drummer Curtis Boyd (the latter three his usual touring group). Cole ...

352
Album Review

Freddy Cole / The Bill Charlap Trio: Music Maestro Please

Read "Music Maestro Please" reviewed by Andrew Velez


"How's it going? Let's talk some. That's the kind of atmosphere Freddy Cole sings. He's casual, chatty and comforting, like a good old friend. A bit more gravel in his voice these days only adds to the warmth of his style. In a choice set of selections from the Great American Songbook there are some particular standouts. “Music Maestro Please serves as a last-call-for-alcohol moment perfectly suited to Cole's particular swinging ever so gentle buddy-to-buddy style. When he drifts into ...

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Profile

Freddy Cole: Cole and Laid Back

Read "Freddy Cole: Cole and Laid Back" reviewed by Ernest Barteldes


For Music Maestro Please (High Note, 2007), his seventeenth releases since I'm Not My Brother, I'm Me (High Note, 1990), singer/pianist Freddy Cole teamed with pianist Bill Charlap and his trio, featuring bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington. The album features songs that, for the most part, the Georgia Music Hall of Famer (he was inducted in 2007 as a music pioneer--"the first time for a jazz performer," he comments--in a ceremony that also nominated rapper/actor Usher and rock ...

442
Album Review

Freddy Cole: Because of You: Freddy Cole Sings Tony Bennett

Read "Because of You: Freddy Cole Sings Tony Bennett" reviewed by Andrew Rowan


Confession, they say, is good for the soul. So this reviewer must confess to only a recent realization of Freddy Cole's extraordinary talent. Simply put, he knows how to do it; this tribute to another singer who gets it--Tony Bennett--is touching. Cole's relaxed, bluesy approach, enhanced by those cracks in his voice, is perfect for “I Got Lost in Her Arms." And although Billie Holiday comes to mind first for “Getting Some Fun out of Life," there ...

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Obituary

Thanks, Freddy, for the jazz connection

Thanks, Freddy, for the jazz connection

Source: Ken Franckling's Jazz Notes

The fine pianist and singer Freddy Cole died Saturday, June 27, at age 88 at his home in Atlanta. He had been struggling with cardiovascular issues for a while. His manager, Suzi Reynolds, called him Mr. Magic. “He wove a web of sonic beauty with every note and kept listeners silently breathless with his casual, elegant storytelling...," she reflected Sunday via email. While working for many years in the immense shadow of his far-famous elder brother, Nat King Cole, Freddy ...

Performance / Tour

Jazz this week: Freddy Cole & Harry Allen, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Kirk Whalum, Chris Corsano & Darin Gray, and more

Jazz this week: Freddy Cole & Harry Allen, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Kirk Whalum, Chris Corsano & Darin Gray, and more

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

This week's calendar of jazz and creative music in St. Louis features lots more holiday-themed programming, with Christmas shows from two touring headliners and several local performers, plus at least a few shows that may not contain any seasonal music. Let's go to the highlights... Wednesday, December 6 Singer and pianist Freddy Cole and his frequent collaborator/guest star, tenor saxophonist Harry Allen, make their return for the first of four nights at Jazz at the Bistro. The brother of the ...

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Performance / Tour

Jazz this week: Freddy Cole & Harry Allen, Eric Marienthal, The New Mastersounds, and more

Jazz this week: Freddy Cole & Harry Allen, Eric Marienthal, The New Mastersounds, and more

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

There are a number of notable shows from visiting jazz and creative music performers coming up this week in St. Louis, offering something for fans of genres ranging from straight-ahead swing to fusion to experimental, free improv, and more. Let's go to the highlights... Wednesday, May 25 Pianist and singer Freddy Cole and his band, teamed once again with tenor saxophonist Harry Allen, return to Jazz at the Bistro for the first evening of a four-night engagement continuing through Saturday. ...

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Festival

2013 Newport Jazz Festival Previews

2013 Newport Jazz Festival Previews

Source: Michael Ricci

By Matthew S. Robinson Singer Freddy Cole keeps putting the pieces together Growing up in a large family of musicians, Freddy Cole had to do what he could to make his way in the family and in the music business. And yet, over 80 years on, he continues to bring chestnuts. Classics and contemporary gems to adoring fans around the world. On the weekend of August 2-3, Cole will come to New England to perform at the opening night gala ...

Performance / Tour

Jazz This Week: Freddy Cole and Harry Allen, Soul Rebels, Bluesweek, Dave Dickey Big Band, and More

Jazz This Week: Freddy Cole and Harry Allen, Soul Rebels, Bluesweek, Dave Dickey Big Band, and More

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

There's a wide variety of jazz and creative music performances coming up this Memorial Day weekend in St. Louis, from straight-ahead jazz to New Orleans brass to big band to fusion and more. Let's go to the highlights... Tonight, singer-pianist Freddy Cole and tenor saxophonist Harry Allen team up for the first of four evenings continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro. Cole, the brother of famed singer and pianist Nat “King" Cole, has played the Bistro to appreciative ...

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Festival

Newport Jazz Festival: Natalie Cole, Freddy Cole, Gregory Porter, Dee Alexander

Newport Jazz Festival: Natalie Cole, Freddy Cole, Gregory Porter, Dee Alexander

Source: Carolyn McClair Public Relations

2013 NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL GIVES VOICE TO AN EXCITING SLATE OF SOULFUL LEGENDS AND RISING STARS FEATURING NATALIE COLE, GREGORY PORTER FREDDY COLE AND DEE ALEXANDER NEWPORT, RI: Continuing the rich tradition of presenting the best of emerging and established musicians, the 2013 Newport Jazz Festival, produced by Newport Festivals Foundation, will feature an eclectic slate of legendary and rising vocalists who skillfully embody the power and history – and the swing and groove – of the uniquely American musical ...

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Performance / Tour

The Freddy Cole Quartet To Perform In Brooklyn!

The Freddy Cole Quartet To Perform In Brooklyn!

Source: Leah Keith

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College (BCBC) continues its 2012-2013 Season with The Freddy Cole Quartet on Saturday, March 16, 2013 at 8pm. Tickets are $36 and can be purchased by phone at 718-951-4500 (Tues-Sat, 1pm-6pm), or online. 2010 Grammy nominee Freddy Cole presents a glorious tribute to the songbooks of Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, and his older brother Nat “King” Cole. In addition to Freddy Cole, the quartet includes guitarist Randy Napoleon, drummer Curtis Boyd and ...

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Event

Freddy Cole Performs Two Concerts On May 31 In Phoenix, AZ

Freddy Cole Performs Two Concerts On May 31 In Phoenix, AZ

Source: Patricia Myers

The Freddy Cole Quartet will perform two shows on Thursday, May 31, 2012, at The Nash, the new Jazz in AZ education and performance venue in Phoenix, AZ. The concerts, fundraisers to benefit the programs of The Nash, are at 5:45 p.m. for wine-hors d’oeuvres preceding 6:30 concert is $75; the 8:30 p.m. concert is $30. The Nash is at 110 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix. Tickets, a seating chart and details on sponsorships are online at jazzinaz.org or phone 602-279-9402. ...

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Performance / Tour

Jazz This Week: Freddy Cole, Claudia Quintet with Theo Bleckmann, Koplant No, and More

Jazz This Week: Freddy Cole, Claudia Quintet with Theo Bleckmann, Koplant No, and More

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

It's another busy week for live jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with performances from both touring and local acts ranging from ragtime, traditional New Orleans jazz, and swing to thought-provoking modern jazz influenced by a variety of contemporary genres. Let's go to the highlights... Tonight, singer and pianist Freddy Cole returns to St. Louis to open a four-night engagement continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro. Cole, the brother of the legendary Nat “King" Cole, has proved ...

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Festival

Hong Kong International Jazz Festival 2011 Kicks Off

Hong Kong International Jazz Festival 2011 Kicks Off

Source: Bosco Cheung

Hong Kong International Jazz Festival The PAST The first jazz festival that ever took place in Hong Kong back in 1987 was imported from Japan, as sponsored by the tobacco company Mild Seven—SELECT Live Under The Sky, Hong Kong. This series originated from Japan in the early 80's till 1992 when Japan slipped into an economic downturn. The Festival had a 5 years' life span in Hong Kong and was a fashionable event among the celebrities and movie stars at ...

"Freddy has an impeccable sense of swing... he is, overall, the most maturely expressive male jazz singer of his generation, if not the best alive." —The New York Times

"Gorgeous autumnal baritone, expressive phrasing and pitch-perfect feel for jazz standards, pop tunes and love ballads." —People Magazine

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

The Dreamer In Me

HighNote Records
2009

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Era Jazzu

Antilla
2007

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Music Maestro Please

HighNote Records
2007

buy

Because of You:...

HighNote Records
2006

buy

Waiter Ask The Man to...

Verve Music Group
2005

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