Before his international acclaim as a pop vocalist, Nathaniel Adams Coles b… Read Full Bio ↴Before his international acclaim as a pop vocalist, Nathaniel Adams Coles built an indelible reputation as a jazz pianist in the groundbreaking combo, The King Cole Trio. Born into a musical family, young Nat Coles (later changed to Cole) recorded with his older brother, Edward, in 1936 for the Decca label. The four sides cut by Eddie Cole's Solid Swingers gave the general public its first glimpse of Nat's gentle yet lively piano riffs. After touring with a revival show of Eubie Blake's revue Shuffle Along, Cole settled in Los Angeles, playing various nightclubs as a soloist. In 1937, club owner Bob Lewis suggested that Cole assemble a small band to work at his Swanee Inn on North La Brea. The group's unorthodox instrumentation and size - they had no drummer and, at the time, big bands were the rage - featured Wesley Prince on bass and the innovative phrasings of electric guitarist Oscar Moore. The Trio's blend of jump blues and jazzy instrumentals with bouncy vocal stylings was a collective effort, while Cole occasionally took the lead on standard ballads. After an uneventful 1939 session for the Davis & Schwegler recording company in Hollywood, The Trio accompanied Lionel Hampton on two recording dates the following summer. Their association with Hampton helped, and that winter The Trio signed with Decca. Their 1940-41 sessions for the label yielded sixteen songs and captured the attention of fellow musicians, fans and a handful of critics. Later that fall, The Trio sounded right at home with drummer Lee Young on a four-song session for the Ammor label. In 1942, Cole recorded with Red Callender and saxophonist Lester Young for the Philo/Aladdin label, Oscar Moore with Cole at the piano. Image courtesy of the Dave Dexter, Jr. Collection.producing a handful of recordings that became benchmarks in their individual careers. Signing with Capitol Records in 1943, The Trio consisted of Cole, Moore, and Johnny Miller, who had settled in as the permanent bassist. Moore left the fold in 1947 and Irving Ashby replaced him. Capitol Records featured The Trio less and less after that, while Cole was singled out as a vocalist often backed by lush string orchestras. By the 1950's, Cole's reputation as a singer had reached a wide pop audience and, upon his death in 1965, his place in music history was forever cemented. His fellow jazz peers, however, never forgot his equally unique touch on the piano and the influence his early trio work had on later performers such as Oscar Peterson, Red Garland, and Tommy Flanagan.
What Is This Thing Called Love?
The Nat King Cole Trio Lyrics
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tuxguys
Nat Cole:
The connection between Teddy Wilson and Oscar Peterson.
He was such a Mega-POP Star from the early '50's into the mid-'60's that he was still having top-40 hits, pretty much until his death in 1965.
That success as a (wonderful) vocalist tends to overshadow what a Jazz Colossus he was on piano for over two decades previously.
This 1944 cut (of a timelessly-hip Cole Porter tune) is a great example of that.
Incidentally…
The only more recent example of a musical phenomenon such as this I can think of is George Benson:
In Jazz and Guitar circles he was always a giant, even as a kid, and he had done some singing, largely (and unjustifiably) overlooked...
...and then, just as it did for Cole when he released "Sweet Lorraine," Benson released "This Masquerade," and everything changed.
Stuart Dryer
He was such a great piano player. All those intesting inner voicings. Really innovative. Bill Evans once mentioned that NKC was a big influence.
MrJimmienoone
And so versatile. On this record, his left hand reminds of Teddy Wilson during the first bars, then reverting to basic block chords to accompany the guitar, and finally ending in a right hand single note style with a deep bass contrast of the left. There is only one thing Nat never mastered: how to sound dull.
Donald Edmonds
Nat was the transition pianist from swing to be-bop .His influence on pianists who came later is greatly under rated.
John Rothfield
Great piano playing by Nat King Cole!
tuxguys
Nat Cole:
The connection between Teddy Wilson and Oscar Peterson.
He was such a Mega-POP Star from the early '50's into the mid-'60's that he was still having top-40 hits, pretty much until his death in 1965.
That success as a (wonderful) vocalist tends to overshadow what a Jazz Colossus he was on piano for over two decades previously.
This 1944 cut (of a timelessly-hip Cole Porter tune) is a great example of that.
Incidentally…
The only more recent example of a musical phenomenon such as this I can think of is George Benson:
In Jazz and Guitar circles he was always a giant, even as a kid, and he had done some singing, largely (and unjustifiably) overlooked...
...and then, just as it did for Cole when he released "Sweet Lorraine," Benson released "This Masquerade," and everything changed.
Maria G.
Nat's articulation is fantastic...Red Garland says he tried to emulate Nat's articulation style...Nat was a very underated piano player... and1944 is pre-Bop...this small trio is a precursor to BeBop which hit the scene right about the same time/shortly hereafter.
Sol Jorge Moscol
so good... his touch was perfect
Arv H
well said.. may i add that Oscar Moore's guitaring is rated even lower?
Alberto Smargiasso
you may!
SELMER B.Action
The best trio ever