Nat King Cole Trio - Essential Classics, Vol. 925 Nat King Cole Trio (2025) [Official Digital Download]

Nat King Cole (born March 17, 1919, Montgomery, Alabama, U.S.—died February 15, 1965, Santa Monica, California) was an American musician hailed as one of the best and most influential pianists and small-group leaders of the swing era. Cole attained his greatest commercial success, however, as a vocalist specializing in warm ballads and light swing.

Cole grew up in Chicago, where, by age 12, he sang and played organ in the church where his father was pastor. He formed his first jazz group, the Royal Dukes, five years later. In 1937, after touring with a Black musical revue, he began playing in jazz clubs in Los Angeles. There he formed the King Cole Trio (originally King Cole and His Swingsters), with guitarist Oscar Moore (later replaced by Irving Ashby) and bassist Wesley Prince (later replaced by Johnny Miller). The trio specialized in swing music with a delicate touch in that they did not employ a drummer; also unique were the voicings of piano and guitar, often juxtaposed to sound like a single instrument. An influence on jazz pianists such as Oscar Peterson, Cole was known for a compact, syncopated piano style with clean, spare, melodic phrases.

During the late 1930s and early ’40s the trio made several instrumental recordings, as well as others that featured their harmonizing vocals. They found their greatest success, however, when Cole began doubling as a solo singer. Their first chart success, “Straighten Up and Fly Right” (1943), was followed by hits such as “Sweet Lorraine,” “It’s Only a Paper Moon,” “(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons,” and “Route 66.” Eventually, Cole’s piano playing took a backseat to his singing career. Noted for his warm tone and flawless phrasing, Cole was regarded among the top male vocalists, although jazz critics tended to regret his near-abandonment of the piano. He first recorded with a full orchestra (the trio serving as rhythm section) in 1946 for “The Christmas Song,” a holiday standard and one of Cole’s biggest-selling recordings. By the 1950s, he worked almost exclusively as a singer, with such notable arrangers as Nelson Riddle and Billy May providing lush orchestral accompaniment. “Nature Boy,” “Mona Lisa,” “Too Young,” “A Blossom Fell,” and “Unforgettable” were among his major hits of the period. He occasionally revisited his jazz roots, as on the outstanding album After Midnight (1956), which proved that Cole’s piano skills had not diminished.

TRACKLIST

CD 01
1. Nat King Cole Trio - The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)
2. Nat King Cole Trio - Unforgettable
3. Nat King Cole Trio - When I Fall in Love
4. Nat King Cole Trio - Orange Coloured Sky
5. Nat King Cole Trio - Let there Be Love
6. Nat King Cole Trio - (I Love You) for Sentimental Reasons
7. Nat King Cole Trio - Stardust
8. Nat King Cole Trio - Mona Lisa
9. Nat King Cole Trio - Nature Boy
10. Nat King Cole Trio - Almost Like Being in Love

CD 02
1. Nat King Cole Trio - The First Noel
2. Nat King Cole Trio - Silent Night
3. Nat King Cole Trio - Love Me as there is No Tomorrow
4. Nat King Cole Trio - The Very Thought of You
5. Nat King Cole Trio - I Saw Three Ships
6. Nat King Cole Trio - Pretend
7. Nat King Cole Trio - Straighten up and Fly Right
8. Nat King Cole Trio - Ramblin' Rose
9. Nat King Cole Trio - Pick Yourself up
10. Nat King Cole Trio - Red Sails in the Sunset



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