The Definitive Nat "King" Cole

Performer: Nat King Cole
Artist: Lester Young; Max Roach; Buddy Rich; Coleman Hawkins; Benny Carter
Distributor: EMI Music Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Nat "King" Cole (vocals, piano); Oscar Moore (guitar); Buster Bailey (clarinet); Benny Carter, Willie Smith (alto saxophone); Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young (tenor saxophone); Bill Coleman (trumpet); Oscar Moore (guitar); Johnny Miller (bass, background vocals); John Kirby, Red Callender (bass); Max Roach, Jackie Mills, Buddy Rich (drums). Compilation producers: Michael Cuscuna, Mantis Evar, Bryan Koniarz. Recorded between July 1942 & August 1947. Includes liner notes by Brian Priestley. All tracks have been digitally remastered. This is part of Blue Note Records "The Definitive" series. Personnel: Nat King Cole (vocals, piano); Oscar Moore (vocals, guitar); Johnny Miller (vocals); Buster Bailey (clarinet); Willie Smith, Benny Carter (alto saxophone); Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young (tenor saxophone); Bill Coleman (trumpet); Max Roach, Buddy Rich (drums). Liner Note Author: Brian Priestley. Recording information: Los Angeles, CA (07/15/1942-08/08/1947). Unknown Contributor Roles: Red Callender; Buddy Rich. Pianist/singer Nat King Cole recorded so extensively in the 1940s that putting together a one-disc sampler of his work with his trio must have been a daunting task. The 15 selections on this sampler, released in chronological order, include ten trio numbers with guitarist Oscar Moore and bassist Johnny Miller. In addition, there are two cuts with Lester Young (one apiece from 1942 and 1946), two numbers with altoist Willie Smith, and one with the Capitol International Jazzmen. Among the highlights are "Straighten Up and Fly Right," "Jumpin' at Capitol," "It's Only a Paper Moon," "Body and Soul," and the hit version of "Route 66." The emphasis is on Nat King Cole's jazz side, with nine of the numbers being instrumentals. ~ Scott Yanow

One of the seminal performers in 20th-century American music, Nat "King" Cole was a major figure in the development of jazz piano, the stylistic link between early jazz and pop of the sophisticated urban variety that emerged in the '30s, and finally one of the greatest pop singers of his day. Cole was a hugely talented, intensely musical singer, blessed with almost flawless good taste, who became an international superstar capable of appealing to audiences across all boundaries.

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