Nat "King" Cole - All-Purpose Thread (was "year by year") - Part 5*

Very, very cool!

 

Question for everybody:

Do you think it is Nat playing piano on "My Flaming Heart" and on the remake of "Don't Let Your Eyes Go Shopping," both from 1952? I've been going back and forth and can't quite seem to make up my mind. Both titles were released as "with the trio," which leads me to think that they (the trio) might not receive a billing like that unless Nat were also playing piano. But I'm just not sure.

I'd love to hear some thoughts on this. Any and all opinions are greatly appreciated.

 

On listening to these today, my first reaction was that I didn't think it was Nat. As I re-listened, I am definitely not sure. On that closing piano run on My Flaming Heart, I thought of Buddy Cole. However, I have never seen the movie Small Town Girl, so I don't know what phrases Nat might have used there.

I got shot down when I wondered whether Nat was playing on the 1953 The Christmas Song. Someone said it was definitely Buddy Cole. Buddy was certainly versatile and I wonder if he couldn't mimic Nat's piano style somewhat.

 

Thanks, Dale. It's always tricky when Buddy Cole is playing, so versatile.

 

I had mentioned back in December that I would try to scan a couple of photos that purport to be from the 1952 Chicago Harvest Moon Festival. Found in the Notes booklet for a Jeri Southern box.

 

I've stumbled across some bargains in used-record stores from time to time, but hit the jackpot today. I found the DCC version of "Love Is The Thing" -- the one with the unindexed, hidden version "Stardust" that Steve mixed dry, with no reverb on Nat's voice -- at Half-Price Books for just $15. Mint condition ... other than all the stickers on the jewel case!

 

Some people have all the luck. Pass some around will ya!

Enjoy

 

My Flaming Heartburn - no, IMH
Don't Let Your Eyes Go Shopping For Your Heartburn - not convinced either way.

 

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Here is what the label looked like on a 1946? Capitol Transcriptions disc B-162



According to the booklet with the Blue Note King Cole Trio Transcriptions box, these were recorded at Radio Recorders, April 11, 1946.

 

The sight of that Capitol transcription disc reminded me of another transcription disc that I am hoping to get to hear one day before I get to heaven (hopefully!), but so far, no luck. The disc has so-called Song Themes, apparently meant to open and close the radio shows of three Capitol artists: Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee, and Enric Madriguera. There are two cuts by Nat in it, both listed on the label as "F. S. T.," one purporting to be the opening of Nat's show, the other its closing. Apilecole lists these cuts as recorded in March 1946. They were included in the Mosaic set, CD #4.

Has anyone here heard the Capitol transcription disc, or at least seen it? (I've seen it only once, on ebay.)

 

I just acquired a sealed copy of this 2007 CD that Capitol created for Nordstrom department stores. The back talks about it being "painstaking engineered" and a "state-of-the-art reconstruction" of the original LP. In terms of the track line-up, it's unbeatable. Basically, it's just the original stereo "Magic Of Christmas" album, in sequence, with the stereo "Christmas Song" added as the first track. No extraneous bonus tracks. But also no indication that these are new masterings of the songs. In fact, there's no mastering credits at all. So, what's the consensus? Is this a different mastering from past releases? (I have yet to play the thing, but plan to tomorrow night.)

 

I see where sealed copies of the Nordstrom release can be acquired on both ebay and amazon, so please let us know whether you consider the mastering to be an improvement over other versions (so I can decide whether or not to acquire. )

 

This photo is labeled 1947. I wonder which NBC Studio this is. New York?

 

I haven't been able to track down a good example of this photo of Nat with the hat. Can any of you point to a source where this photo is used?

Here it is on the cover of a Smithsonian Box Set from 1989. Don't you love mad art directors who show such ability with purple and turquoise crayon?

 

I don't recall seeing that particular photo before, but the ensemble looks familiar. Isn't there one in the Mosaic booklet, with either Duke Ellington or Leonard Feather, or both, from the same date?

 

Oh, that's right. I found that group photo in 2008 in the U of I Leonard Feather archives. I used it in connection with my take of Ellington and Hodges' Don't Get Around Much Anymore when I reviewed the album Just One Of Those Things on Dec 26, 2008.

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/nat-king-cole-year-by-year-part-2.160473/page-8#post-4054509

I like this photo: Duke Ellington, Leonard Feather, Nat King Cole, and Johnny Hodges in 1951.

 

"a blues performance of uncommon excellence"

From the Smithsonian box set JAZZ PIANO, 1989, one of the Nat King Cole tracks is Blues In My Shower, recorded 8/20/1947 with Oscar Moore and Johnny Miller.



Dick Katz, jazz pianist, author, and now DJ, has written the notes.

Cole was also a great blues player, and Blues In My Shower is a wonderful example. The piece has no theme or composed melody, but Cole's improvisation is quite vocal in its melodic contours--one can almost imagine lyrics. When playing this kind of blues, real blues artists don't think of the chord progressions as much as the continuity of the melody and the projection of the blues feeling.

Cole builds his solo with unerring logic. Indeed, except for the second chorus, where he becomes somewhat pianistic, he maintains the vocal quality throughout. His use of triplets, and his wonderful relaxed sense of time and swing are totally infectious.

This work comprises four perfectly executed blues choruses, in a combination of big-city sophistication and country roots--a blues performance of uncommon excellence.​

 

Would trio recordings like this 45 often only be credited to Nat?

 

Not usually, but this wasn't your typical trio performance. It was included in an album called King Cole at the Piano, and although both Johnny Miller and Oscar Moore were present, as the label says they did little more than provide rhythm accompaniment.

 

Since this was Nat's first album recorded as an album, I wonder if the solo billing was a result of the Capitol producers or was it done at Nat's insistence? Nat had already started the transition to a different financial arrangement with the members of the Trio. I am not sure exactly when the billing on the single releases changed to Nat King Cole and The Trio, but I have seen some labels from 1949 that say that.

 

If you haven't already seen it, be sure to see apileocole's page essay on this album - King Cole at the Piano

http://apileocole.alongthehall.com/releases/album01.html

Although it is usually known as King Cole at the Piano, if you look at the cover of the various editions of the album, 78 or 45 or LP, in faint print you can see the word "Nat" in small cursive. Often the covers are so dark that it is almost invisible. Here is one that shows the complete title: Nat King Cole at the Piano

 

The trailer for this is now available: http://www.cardinalreleasing.com/info.php?id=59

 

Cool. Hopefully it will have some new info and/or insight and not be a complete rehash of prior bios.

 

This continues to be a favorite candid photo of Nat.

 

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Just a wonderful shot: Nat King Cole, Mel Torme, and Buddy Rich in 1946. They were all going places that year.



Isn't 1946 the year that Mel gave The Christmas Song to Nat? And Buddy & Nat were recording together several times. There were the Lester Young trio recordings with Nat and Buddy, and the Jubilee & V-Disc recordings with Buddy and Lester Young and the King Cole Trio, and then the Nat Meets June session with Buddy. The year before Buddy and Nat had been together for the recording of the great Anatomy of a Jam Session.