If you don’t know that Nat “King” Cole is one of the top 3 jazz vocalists of all time, then here’s a great place to get acquainted. By the time of this 1953 collection of concerts from Chicago’s Blue Note, Cole had become an official “crossover” star, mixing pop with his jazz roots. He was starting to release the then-novelty idea of record albums, and he’d had a couple big hits with “Too Young” and “Unforgettable” in ’51 and ’52, following his first European tour.
This gig finds him in excellent company with his working team of John Collins/g, Charlie Harris/b and Lee Young/dr, all swinging with sophistication. Cole still played a lot of piano at this stage in his career, in fact, it’s Collins that has little space for soloing, but when he does, as on “Straighten Up and Fly Right” and “Sweet Lorraine”, he’s sizzling.
Even more tasty is when Cole turns the lights down low for essential vocal/guitar duets on drop dead reads of “Love Is Here To Stay”, “Mona Lisa/Too Young” and a particularly riveting “Nature Boy”. Cole is in exuberant form all throughout, introducing the songs, and deftly mixes whimsical ditties such as “Exactly Like You” with velvety croons as on “It’s Only A Paper Moon” and “Blue Gardenia”. Of course, the band swings the daylights out of “ Route 66”, but “Calypso Blues” ain’t too shabby of a jam either.
No gimmicks, no effects, no groaning, histrionics or grunting, just perfect songs delivered perfectly. Isn’t this why you fell in love with jazz?