I once asked my dad about the best date he ever took my mother on – he smiled, and suggested I ask her about it. So I did, and oh, what I would give to be able to claim that I took my wife on a date like that one…

I'll get back to this story, but first – let's explore The World of Nat King Cole.
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The World of Nat King Cole

God just put his hand on Nat's head and said "you're going to be the one with this voice"
– Harry Connick, Jr

Born in 1919, and a rising star by the time he was seventeen years old, Nat King Cole died at the age of 45 in 1965 – lung cancer claimed him after a lifetime of smoking. It was a shock to many, and a loss to the music community at large as Cole's popularity was still on the rise. From his beginnings as a young jazz piano-playing vocalist fronting his own group to his later years of pop superstardom, Cole was nearly always on top, no matter what music he performed. Though his move from the jazz world into the more lucrative world of pop music lost him many early fans, he gained that many and more with his immensely popular renditions of what are now rightly regarded as legendary pop standards.

To commemorate the fortieth anniversary of his death, Carole Cole - one of Cole's daughters - worked with Capitol Records to produce a collection of her father's best work, spanning most of his star-crossed career. Natalie Cole penned her own recollections of her father and the impact he had on her life; her personal observations and some family pictures are included in the CD booklet that accompanies the recording.

There are MANY other collections of his music, especially in Europe where the fifty year copyright limit has already expired on his early jazz recordings, but this collection of twenty-eight songs is somewhat unique, and has its own advantages. First of all, as the owner of Cole's later discography, Capitol has the master recordings of these songs, and, specifically for this collection, had them completely re-mastered using the latest digital audio technology. Secondly, this collection is a soundtrack of sorts, as The World of Nat King Cole is not only the title of this CD, but is also the title of a documentary of Cole's life, already aired in Europe and coming to the US in a few weeks.
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Let's Face the Music and Dance

Nat King Cole's early music career took him into the jazz halls of the swinging thirties and forties. He played piano and sang for several popular bands, eventually paring down to his own trio – the King Cole Trio. This early portion of his career is represented by seven tracks – some jazz lovers will be disappointed that more emphasis has not been given in such a retrospective collection to his skills as a jazz vocalist and pianist. However, the King Cole Trio tracks do show off his talents well (especially in these marvelously restored mono recordings) in songs like It's Only a Paper Moon, Straighten Up and Fly Right, and (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66, recorded in 1946. The collection does include songs by the various incarnations of the trio, so you will hear early Trio members Oscar Moor and Johnny Miller as well as later members Irving Ashby, Joe Comfort, John Collins and Charlie Harris performing on various songs. The Trio is also joined by Stan Kenton and His Orchestra for a rousing rendition of Orange Colored Sky (WHAM! BAM! ALAKAZAM!), and by Les Baxter and His Orchestra for one of Cole's signature tunes, Mona Lisa.

The selections featuring only the Trio are quite simple in structure, using only piano, guitar, and bass, but they cannot be dismissed as trivial performances. Nat King Cole is all about nuance, an easy going style that sounds almost too easy at times - it's just that effortless. Listening to the Trio, I get the feeling that these guys could have played anything and make it sound easy.

I especially love the Trio tracks – it's educational for me to finally hear some of Cole's early performances, as they help me to better understand his background in jazz, and showcase his talents on the piano. As a fan of Harry Connick, Jr., I really appreciate a great vocalist who can also jam on the keyboards – or is it the other way around? I always knew that Cole played piano, but I never truly understood how good he really was. Listening to these songs, I can hear some traces of Connick's jazz styles in Cole's playing, and in his singing for that matter. Nat King Cole may be better known for his gorgeous pop ballads, but his early jazz career definitely deserves its own re-mastered collection.
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…the melody haunts my reverie

Nat King Cole's most famous songs are the ballads he performed with various orchestras, working with famous conductor/arrangers like Nelson Riddle, Billy May, and Ralph Carmichael. These ballads have become icons of pop music, long considered among the best of the "standards", performed by many singers over the years, but no one has ever brought to these songs the same level of class and style as Nat King Cole.

Cole's most popular songs are included in the collection, including favorites like When I Fall in Love, Too Young, L-O-V-E and a 1961 recording of Smile. Personal favorites of mine include a live performance of Thou Swell, recorded January 14, 1960 at The Sands hotel in Las Vegas, and the slightly naughty Walkin' My Baby Back Home.

Most interesting to me, from a technical aspect, is the newly re-mastered version of Stardust. The song was included on the soundtrack for the film Sleepless in Seattle, and I was fairly impressed with the cleanup that was done on Stardust and other classic tracks that appeared on that CD. Apparently, audio technology has come a long way in twelve years. The 1993 version is clean, but it still sounds old, as if only the "dents and scratches" in the recording had been removed, leaving the recording in it's original fidelity. That version may have provided an accurate representation of what a brand new vinyl record could have sounded like nearly fifty years ago, but in this new version, every sound has been enriched, Cole's vocal quality is stunning, and the orchestra is much more vital.

If you haven't recognized a single song title yet, then it is still very possible that you have heard the version of Unforgettable featuring a duet between Nat King Cole and his daughter Natalie Cole, a single that earned a Grammy award and sold seven million copies on it's own. The digitally created duet is included in this collection, and is the only track on the CD that was not re-mastered. The original version of Unforgettable is also included, so you can compare both versions if you'd like to see what was changed and enhanced to make the more recent track.

Personally, I prefer the original version – covers of great songs can be great in their own right, but can you imagine what it would have been like to hear Nat King Cole perform these songs in person? Fortunately, I know someone who can tell me all about it…
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Unforgettable

Just yesterday, I asked my mom to email me her thoughts about the date that my dad took her on shortly before they were married. My dad, knowing that Nat King Cole was one of my mother's favorite singers, got tickets for the two of them to see him in concert. (Now, those of you who know me understand my love for Sting and his music, and you know that I have seen him several times in concert. I would give all those shows up to have been able to hear a talent like Nat King Cole just once.)

My mother recalls the performance by the legendary singer…

The concert was at Circle Star Theater in San Carlos (a) long time ago... It was a theater in the round. There was a solitary wooden stool in the center of the stage. I don't remember an orchestra or band, but there must have been one. Nat King Cole sang from center stage all evening. He was very well dressed, tall and such a gentlemen. His voice was so smooth and full. Nothing squeaky or weak about him…his humor was as mellow as his voice and he had us either smiling, laughing or with tears in our eyes.

The Circle Star show was Nat King Cole's last* public concert before he died. My parents shared a special evening with a legend, two persons among a crowd that was the last to witness the man's marvelous talents in person.

The World of Nat King Cole deserves to be in any music collection, whether or not you already own any of his many recordings. Take the opportunity to listen anew or for the very first time to the voice of a generation…
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Nat King Cole - The World of Nat King Cole
Originally released in January, 2005, by Capitol Records.
All quoted song lyrics are the copyrighted property of their owners
Harry Connick, Jr.'s quote taken from the CD booklet included in this package

*According to the information I have researched, the Circle Star show was Nat King Cole's last public concert, but I cannot verify it officially. If you have any information on this show, I would appreciate hearing about it.

Track Listing
All tracks are monaural recordings, except those noted in bold
Smile (1961) / It's Only A Paper Moon / Straighten Up and Fly Right / (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66 / (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons / Nature Boy / Too Young / Unforgettable / Walkin' My Baby Back Home / Orange Colored Sky / Send For Me / A Blossom Fell / Mona Lisa / Quizas, Quizas, Quizas (Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps) / On The Street Where You Live / Almost Like Being In Love / Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup / Ramblin' Rose / Let There Be Love / You Stepped Out of A Dream / When I Fall in Love / L-O-V-E / Let's Face the Music and Dance / Just One of Those Things / Day In, Day Out / Thou Swell - (Live) / Unforgettable (Natalie Cole duet with Nat King Cole) / Stardust


Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Romancing