Nat King Cole

Nat King Cole – St. Louis Blues (1958) [APO Remaster 2011]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 & 3.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 65:41/32:58 mins | Scans included | 2,00 GB

The filmed version of W.C. Handy’s life, St. Louis Blues, is a fictional abomination full of every bad cliché that Hollywood could come up with. Its one saving grace was the dignified performance given by Nat King Cole in the lead role (even if Handy was never a singing pianist). This LP, in addition to featuring Nelson Riddle’s “Overture” from the film, finds Cole singing ten of Handy’s finest compositions (including “Beale Street Blues,” “Careless Love” and the title song) while backed by an orchestra playing Riddle’s arrangements.

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Nat King Cole – Love Is The Thing (1957) [APO Remaster 2010]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 & 3.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 72:37/30:25 mins | Scans included | 1,93 GB

Nat King Cole’s collaborations with Gordon Jenkins rank among the finest from either artist or arranger. Cole’s first stereophonic long player, 1957’s Love Is the Thing remains the epitome of the pair’s undeniable compatibility, and it topped the album charts for eight weeks. The opener “When I Fall in Love” is considered by many to be nothing short of definitive; the restrained orchestration perfectly adapts to the singer’s verdant vocals. Similarly, “Stardust” sparkles as a flawless musical alliance is formed with Cole’s warm and inviting narrative weaving over Jenkins’ intimate score. Simply stated, both songs are unmitigated masterworks — and we’re only two cuts into the dozen-song LP. Another key to the project’s success is Jenkins ability to reign in just enough instrumentation to support Cole’s uniformly restrained leads. Examples abound throughout, with “Stay as Sweet as You Are,” “At Last,” and the rural sophistication of “When Sunny Gets Blue.” The heartfelt “Love Letters” and even the comparatively light “Ain’t Misbehavin’” incorporate a sonic synergy as the airy string section glides between Cole’s line by line phrasing. Also worth mentioning is the Jenkins original “I Thought About Marie,” as it sits comfortably beside some of the most time-honored tunes in 20th century popular music.

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Nat King Cole – Just One Of Those Things (1957) [APO Remaster 2011]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 & 3.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 75:23/36:21 mins | Scans included | 2,23 GB

Just One of Those Things is a theme album comparable to one of Frank Sinatra’s uptempo swing albums of the same period (Come Fly With Me, etc.), and employs the same arranger/conductor, Billy May. Nat King Cole is a bit less effective than Sinatra at uptempo material; he tends to undersing these sprightly standards, and May saves his dramatic horn charts and percussion shots for moments when Cole is away from the microphone. Even so, by the fifth track, “These Foolish Things Remind Me of You,” May has retreated to ballad time, and though his embellishments threaten to break out behind the singer, Cole gives an assured, unhurried performance. And that’s the point: that Cole has tamed the rambunctious May does not mean he doesn’t give wonderful interpretations to some wonderful songs: “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” “Just One of Those Things,” “The Song Is Ended (But the Melody Lingers On).” And the light-handed swing supports those efforts well.

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Nat King Cole – After Midnight (1957) [APO Remaster 2010]
PS3 Rip | ISO | SACD DSD 2.0 | 63:56 minutes | Scans included | 2,61 GB
or FLAC 24bit/96 kHz | Scans included | 683 MB |Capitol Records

After Midnight is a 1957 Jazz album by Nat King Cole. It peaked at #13 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart.
The AFTER MIDNIGHT sessions were Nat “King” Cole’s attempt in 1956 to get a little more in touch with his jazz roots, once again accompanying himself on piano–at one time Cole was considered the heir to Teddy Wilson–& playing with a small combo that included Harry “Sweets” Edison on trumpet, Juan Tizol on trombone & Ray Nance on violin. As such it was a highly successful date for Cole & Co., it stands up more than 50 years later. This was no mere jam session, but a chance to hear Cole vocalizing in a non-orchestral setting, just like his early trio, but this time singing full-fledged standards like “What Is There To Say?” & the beautifully rendered “You’re Looking At Me,” not just the familiar Cole trio novelties.
Never before has this record sounded so sumptuous, with every detail & nuance restored in a manner that places you in the recording studio with Cole. Mastered from the original 1st-generation full-track monaural session tapes at Acoustech by Steve Hoffman & Kevin Gray for an unparalleled sonic experience. Scintillating.

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Nat King Cole – Welcome To The Club (1959) [Audio Fidelity 2013]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 31:13 minutes | Scans included | 1,26 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Scans included | 614 MB
Mastered by Steve Hoffman | Audio Fidelity # AFZ-153

As the 1950s came to a close, Nat King Cole (vocals/piano) continued creating stylish renditions of pop and jazz flavored standards. On Welcome to the Club (1959) the artist teams up with Dave Cavanaugh and the Count Basie combo — minus the maestro himself due to contractual restraints — for one of Cole’s most powerful collections supported by a big band. In fact, it is Cole’s unmistakable ultra-cool intonations that flawlessly reign in the fiery — and at times overbearing — ensemble arrangements. Right from the start, the vocalist proves that he can swing on the refined and syncopated opening title track “Welcome to the Club.” Cole effortlessly bops with a beat so catchy that toe-tappin’ and finger-snappin’ feel practically obligatory. The bluesy “Anytime, Anyday, Anywhere” adopts a slightly melancholy torch feel that Cole ably milks with his unblemished and supple delivery. The same holds true for the definitive take of Duke Ellington’s “Mood Indigo.” The number is swaddled with a suitably subdued score that Cole dutifully conveys to tremendous effect, making it one of the unmitigated zeniths of his association with Cavanaugh. While on the subject, “Wee Baby Blues” follows a bit later revealing another spot-on example of his expressive technique. The tempo picks back up on the rousing, well-heeled “Late, Late Show” that again re-establishes Nat King Cole as one of the premiere voices of mid-20th century jazz. His ability to reel off lyrics as if they were conversational is nowhere as evident as it is here. The pace picks up steam with the full-speed-ahead frenzy of “Avalon” and again, Cole exudes nothing but soul throughout this compact, yet unhurried rendition.

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Nat King Cole – The King Of Sound (2006)
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 53:07 minutes | Scans included | 810 MB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Scans included | 952 MB
Intermusic S.A. / Top Music International Ltd. # TM-SACD9006.2

The collection of the finest recordings & timeless hits, released with the remarkable support from Tivoli Audio in this productions…

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Nat King Cole – The Christmas Song (1967) [Audio Fidelity 2015]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 31:02 minutes | Scans included | 1,26 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Full Scans included | 603 MB
or  DSF Stereo DSD64/2.82MHz | 1,24 GB
Mastered by Kevin Gray | Audio Fidelity # AFZ-225

First issued in the ’60s, this collection of musical Christmas cheer is packed full of the smoothly sung, sentimental favorites associated as much with Nat King Cole himself as with the season. The singer’s performance of “The Christmas Song” is an unforgettable classic reprised here twice, once in an updated version that includes a contemporary vocal from his daughter, Natalie, and also in Cole’s original 1946 recording. Other traditional religious favorites like “I Saw Three Ships” and “Away in a Manger” are also featured, in a setting that, with its well-arranged orchestral accompaniment, manages to sound both sophisticated and folksy.

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