Nelson Riddle And His Orchestra - An Orchestral Portrait of Nat King Cole (2019) {Everest Records rec 1965, remastered}

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Nelson Riddle And His Orchestra - An Orchestral Portrait of Nat King Cole (2019) {Everest Records rec 1965, remastered}

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Nelson Riddle And His Orchestra - An Orchestral Portrait of Nat King Cole (2019) {Everest Records rec 1965, remastered}
FLAC (tracks) - 16bit/44.1kHz - Official Digital Download (highresaudio.com) -> 180 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 86 Mb | Cover | 5% repair rar
© 1965, 2019 Everest Records
Jazz / Orchestral / Easy Listening / Traditional Pop

This album was recorded in Hollywood USA using the finest studio musicians around, many of whom played in the great bands of America in the swing era. One notable musician who was a jazz pianist himself in the early days of swing was Jimmy Rowles who was a personal friend of Nat. "Arranger Nelson Riddle leads his orchestra, with special guest pianist Jimmy Rowles, through 12 elegant renditions of classic songs associated with Nat King Cole, the majority of which Riddle had initially arranged for him. Originally released on Reprise in 1965, this tribute set includes instrumental versions of "Straighten Up and Fly Right," "Mona Lisa," "Ramblin' Rose," "Too Young," and "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)." Although not essential, this is a respectable reissue that traditional pop fans should be aware of."

Nelson Riddle was arguably the greatest arranger/conductor the world has known, and certainly his work with Nat "King" Cole is still some of the best music of all time. They shared a wonderful ethic of bringing every nuance of a song to the fore, and the songs selected here are indicative of the long, illustrious working relationship these two wonderful gentlemen had. They were also very good friends away from the studio, as well documented by family members from both the Riddle and Cole families in books and interviews. Their admiration for each other is apparent in these recordings, as much as it is in those they both were present on. This album, recorded shortly after Nat's untimely death is indeed as fitting a tribute as daughter Natalie's 'Unforgettable' and 'Stardust' packages of the 90's. As mentioned in the liner notes by Nelson Riddle himself, most of the tunes were songs he had originally orchestrated for Nat. (The glaring omission here has to be 'Unforgettable') And to make the album even more a labor of love, Jimmy Rowles, one of the best pianists of the time, had the undaunted task of playing piano on the sides here. He rises to occassion wonderfully; his work is absolutely stellar. The immediate feeling one gets, whether its on one of Nat's earliest hits (when he was still better known as a pianist himself) STRAIGHTEN UP AND FLY RIGHT, or the ethereal harp and piano combination on TOO YOUNG, is that Nat's rich voice could come in over the arrangement at any time. A nice tip of the hat by Nelson to his fellow Capitol arranger/conductor Billy May in the chart of WALKIN' MY BABY BACK HOME (originally orchestrated by Billy May for Nat) where Riddle uses some 'May-isms' in the arrangement, including sax work comparable to what Billy did in the original. The standout on the album is a song Nelson DIDN'T chart for Nat, RAMBLIN' ROSE. It gets a classy, swinging treatment in the unmistakeable Riddle sound; brass-laden and sensational. An absolutely gorgeous and fitting tribute to one of history's greatest singers of all time, by the greatest arranger and conductor of all time.