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Nat King Cole

Nat King Cole was one of the most popular singers ever to hit the American charts. A brilliant recording and concert artist during the 40's, 50's and 60's, he attracted millions of fans around the world with a sensitive and caressing singing voice that was unmistakable.

Cole has a rare blend of technical musical knowledge and sheer performing artistry topped off with an abundance of showmanship. In the 23 years that he recorded with Capitol Records, he turned out hit after amazing hit - nearly 700 songs - all the while managing to remain a gentle, tolerant and gracious human being.

Nathaniel Adams Coles was born in Montgomery, Alabama on March 17, 1919. He was the son of Baptist minister, Edward James Coles, and mother, Perlina Adams, who sang soprano and directed the choir in her husband's church. Cole grew up in Chicago, met and married a girl in New York; they had five children and lived in Hancock Park in Los Angeles.

He had a distinctive voice, which has been compared to the quality of velvet, a pussy willow, a calm evening breeze, a still summer morning and a soft snow fall. In the case of Nat King Cole, who dropped an "s" off his last name and put a nickname in the middle, the lyricism is merited.

The first sign that Cole was destined for a musical life was at age four, when he was able to pick out a fairly good two-handed rendition of "Yes, We Have No Bananas." He later played the organ in his father's church. In high school he organized a 14-piece band, with himself as pianist and leader.

In 1937, after finishing high school, Cole joined a road company of the revue, "Shuffle Along." The show broke up a few months later in Long Beach, California, when a sticky-fingered member of the troop made off with the show's $800 treasury. He also wrote a song called "Straighten Up and Fly Right," which he sold for $50.

Cole spent the next period looking for work and not having much luck. Finally a night club manager offered him $75 per week for an instrumental quartet. He hired a guitarist, bass fiddle player and a drummer. On opening night the drummer didn't show up but the manager took trio and didn't cut the price.

Even though instrumental trios were not highly popular in those days, the King Cole Trio developed a large and faithful following. With Cole on the piano and later, vocals, Oscar Moore on guitar and Johnny Miller on bass, the trio eventually played the best clubs in the country and had their own radio show. They eventually won awards from every music publication in the U.S., and their jazz records are now treasured collectors' items.

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Radio & Podcasts

Where There's No Will, There's Still a Way

Read "Where There's No Will, There's Still a Way" reviewed by Patrick Burnette


The Bastards had hoped to host author Will Friedwald this episode to discuss his book on Nat King Cole, but like a ramblin' rose his path wandered from ours and we ended up high and lonesome, talking Nat's vocal albums on Capital by ourselves. Nat was one of the great Swing era piano players and led one of the first influential jazz piano trios, but we focus on the second half of his too-short career as mainstream vocalist and vowel-wrangler ...

5
Album Review

Nat King Cole: Straighten Up and Fly Right – The Best of Hittin’ the Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)

Read "Straighten Up and Fly Right – The Best of Hittin’ the Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)" reviewed by Mark Sullivan


Hittin' the Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943) (Resonance Records, 2019) is a treasury of Nat “King" Cole's earliest recorded work, documenting his mastery of jazz piano and vocals long before he became a popular singing star. But at seven CDs or 10 LPs, it's a lot of music, perhaps too much for a casual or curious fan. This single disc “best of" compilation offers a generous selection of 21 tracks, most of them featuring Cole's famous trio with guitarist Oscar ...

6
Album Review

Nat King Cole: Hittin’ the Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)

Read "Hittin’ the Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)" reviewed by Mark Sullivan


Before pianist/vocalist Nat King Cole had a career as a pop crooner--his many hits included “All for You," “The Christmas Song," “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66," “(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons," “Nature Boy" and “Mona Lisa" (the No. 1 song in 1950)--he led a successful jazz trio which featured both his piano playing and vocals. This voluminous collection aims to document all of his early work. There are many surprises for those who only know the pop hits, ...

5
Album Review

Nat "King" Cole: Hittin’ the Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)

Read "Hittin’ the Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)" reviewed by Victor L. Schermer


While he achieved fame and fortune as a pops crooner of the 1950s-60s, Nat “King" Cole firmly occupies a place in jazz history. Unlike Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney and others who began their careers as singers, Cole started out as a pianist, composer/arranger, and band leader, working small clubs in Chicago, soon adding vocals at the suggestion of a fan. From the late 1930s through 1943, when he received his legendary contract as a singer with the newly ...

3
Radio & Podcasts

Wild Is Love - Celebrating Nat King Cole's Centennial

Read "Wild Is Love - Celebrating Nat King Cole's Centennial" reviewed by Mary Foster Conklin


We take a brief detour in the middle of Women's History Month to celebrate the centennial of Nat “King" Cole in the second hour and play some of the songs he was famous for. The show also includes new releases from guitarist/vocalists Camila Meza, John Pizzarelli, and trumpeter Samantha Boshnack with more birthday shout outs to organist Shirley Scott, vocalists Mark Murphy, Bobby McFerrin, Al Jarreau, Judy Niemack and pianist Billy Childs, among others. Playlist Shirley Scott ...

15
Profile

Unforgettable: Nat King Cole at 100

Read "Unforgettable: Nat King Cole at 100" reviewed by Peter Coclanis


Few cities in the U.S. have musical traditions so strong and varied as Chicago's. Although cases can be made for other cities--jny: New Orleans, jny: Detroit, New York, jny: Philadelphia, jny: Los Angeles, and jny: Memphis come to mind--in no other city is the range and depth of musical expression so strong as in Chi-Town. Other cities may dominate certain genres and discrete niches, but in no other burg does the musical tradition run so deeply in genres ranging from ...

50
Radio & Podcasts

Nat@100, Withers ‘Just Because’, Newk & More

Read "Nat@100, Withers ‘Just Because’, Newk & More" reviewed by Marc Cohn


We get a jump on the Nat 'King' Cole centennial [coming in March] with his classic trio, along with two piano players influenced by Mr. Cole. Our Sonny Rollins celebration continues with a Miles date with Bird on tenor too. Upfront, there's 21st century sounds, as well as jazzed-up Bill Withers tunes... just because, well, it's a lovely day. Make yours one and give a listen; you will enjoy the show. Playlist Harold Mabern “A Few Miles ...

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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Nat King Cole

Jazz Musician of the Day: Nat King Cole

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Nat King Cole's birthday today!

Nat King Cole was one of the most popular singers ever to hit the American charts. A brilliant recording and concert artist during the 40's, 50's and 60's, he attracted millions of fans around the world with a sensitive and caressing singing voice that was unmistakable. Cole has a rare blend of technical musical knowledge and sheer performing artistry topped off with an abundance of showmanship. In the 23 years ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Nat King Cole

Jazz Musician of the Day: Nat King Cole

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Nat King Cole's birthday today!

Nat King Cole was one of the most popular singers ever to hit the American charts. A brilliant recording and concert artist during the 40's, 50's and 60's, he attracted millions of fans around the world with a sensitive and caressing singing voice that was unmistakable. Cole has a rare blend of technical musical knowledge and sheer performing artistry topped off with an abundance of showmanship. In the 23 years ...

Video / DVD

Nat King Cole at 102

Nat King Cole at 102

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

Yesterday was the late Nat King Cole's birth date. An impossibly talented pianist and vocalist who not only re-invented romantic pop singing in the album era but also helped pave the way for desegregation. Here are 10 of my favorite Cole vocal recordings and a bonus: Here's When Your Love Has Gone, with an arrangement by Billy May... Here's Chester Conn and Sammy Gallop's Night Lights, with an arrangement by Nelson Riddle... Here's Hub Atwood and Mel Leven's Tell Me ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Nat King Cole

Jazz Musician of the Day: Nat King Cole

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Nat King Cole's birthday today!

Nat King Cole was one of the most popular singers ever to hit the American charts. A brilliant recording and concert artist during the 40's, 50's and 60's, he attracted millions of fans around the world with a sensitive and caressing singing voice that was unmistakable. Cole has a rare blend of technical musical knowledge and sheer performing artistry topped off with an abundance of showmanship. In the 23 years ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Nat "King" Cole

Jazz Musician of the Day: Nat "King" Cole

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Nat “King" Cole's birthday today!

Nat King Cole was one of the most popular singers ever to hit the American charts. A brilliant recording and concert artist during the 40's, 50's and 60's, he attracted millions of fans around the world with a sensitive and caressing singing voice that was unmistakable. Cole has a rare blend of technical musical knowledge and sheer performing artistry topped off with an abundance of showmanship. In the 23 years ...

Recording

Nat King Cole: Hittin' the Ramp

Nat King Cole: Hittin' the Ramp

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

In the years before World War II, musicians didn't get near a recording studio unless they could produce perfect results. Three major companies dominated the record industry then—Columbia, RCA and Decca—and they weren't big on wasting time or money. Errors were costly in the pre-tape era. Music then was recorded onto lacquer discs before metal impressions were made and then plunged into chemical baths to solidify the sound. Retakes were labor-intensive. What's more, you didn't last long as a recording ...

1

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Nat "King" Cole

Jazz Musician of the Day: Nat "King" Cole

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Nat “King" Cole's birthday today!

Nat King Cole was one of the most popular singers ever to hit the American charts. A brilliant recording and concert artist during the 40\'s, 50\'s and 60\'s, he attracted millions of fans around the world with a sensitive and caressing singing voice that was unmistakable. Cole has a rare blend of technical musical knowledge and sheer performing artistry topped off with an abundance of showmanship... Read more.

Place our ...

2

Video / DVD

Nat King Cole: Top 10 Albums

Nat King Cole: Top 10 Albums

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

The 100th anniversary of Nat King Cole's birth is on March 17. Cole was one of America's most remarkable entertainers. His first jazz-pop career was with his celebrated trio in the 78-era of the 1940s. Then he triumphed in the 10-inch era from 1950 to 1954 with hits that included Unforgettable and Penthouse Serenade. Then came the 12-inch LP era, starting in 1955 and ending with his death in 1965. Many of these albums featured Cole illustrated in suburban settings ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Nat "King" Cole

Jazz Musician of the Day: Nat "King" Cole

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Nat “King" Cole's birthday today!

Nat King Cole was one of the most popular singers ever to hit the American charts. A brilliant recording and concert artist during the 40\'s, 50\'s and 60\'s, he attracted millions of fans around the world with a sensitive and caressing singing voice that was unmistakable. Cole has a rare blend of technical musical knowledge and sheer performing artistry topped off with an abundance of showmanship... Read more.

Place our ...

1

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Nat "King" Cole

Jazz Musician of the Day: Nat "King" Cole

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Nat “King" Cole's birthday today!

Nat King Cole was one of the most popular singers ever to hit the American charts. A brilliant recording and concert artist during the 40\'s, 50\'s and 60\'s, he attracted millions of fans around the world with a sensitive and caressing singing voice that was unmistakable. Cole has a rare blend of technical musical knowledge and sheer performing artistry topped off with an abundance of showmanship... Read more.

Place our ...

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