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Nat King Cole
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Nat “King” Cole (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965) was a popular American singer and jazz musician.
As a piano player, he formed a jazz trio in 1938 that played Los Angeles nightclubs, one of the first jazz trios featuring guitar and piano. Prior to this he had played music since he was a child and had worked with bands since he was 16. He was raised in Chicago and exposed to the abundant jazz scene there. He was heavily influenced by pianist Earl “Fatha” Hines.
Later he became more popularly known as a singer and crooner and his work became more orchestrated.
His first mainstream vocal hit was in 1944 with
Straighten Up and Fly Right, based on a black folk tale that his father had used as a theme for a sermon. Although hardly a rocker, the song’s success proved that an audience for folk-based material existed. It is considered a predecessor to the first rock and roll records. Indeed, Bo Diddley, who performed similar transformations of folk material, counted Cole as an influence.
Beginning in the late 1940s, Cole began recording and performing more pop-oriented material for mainstream audiences, often accompanied by a string orchestra. His stature as a popular icon was cemented during this period with such hits asThe Christmas Song (1946), Nature Boy (1948), Mona Lisa (1950), and his signature tune Unforgettable (1951). While this shift to pop music led some jazz critics and fans to accuse Cole of selling out, he never totally abandoned his musical roots; as late as 1956, for instance, he recorded an all-jazz album, After Midnight. In 1991, Mosaic Records released the Complete Nat King Cole Trio Recordings on Capitol, which contained 349 songs on 27 LPs or 18 CDs.
As a piano player, he formed a jazz trio in 1938 that played Los Angeles nightclubs, one of the first jazz trios featuring guitar and piano. Prior to this he had played music since he was a child and had worked with bands since he was 16. He was raised in Chicago and exposed to the abundant jazz scene there. He was heavily influenced by pianist Earl “Fatha” Hines.
Later he became more popularly known as a singer and crooner and his work became more orchestrated.
His first mainstream vocal hit was in 1944 with
Straighten Up and Fly Right, based on a black folk tale that his father had used as a theme for a sermon. Although hardly a rocker, the song’s success proved that an audience for folk-based material existed. It is considered a predecessor to the first rock and roll records. Indeed, Bo Diddley, who performed similar transformations of folk material, counted Cole as an influence.Beginning in the late 1940s, Cole began recording and performing more pop-oriented material for mainstream audiences, often accompanied by a string orchestra. His stature as a popular icon was cemented during this period with such hits as
The Christmas Song (1946), Nature Boy (1948), Mona Lisa (1950), and his signature tune Unforgettable (1951). While this shift to pop music led some jazz critics and fans to accuse Cole of selling out, he never totally abandoned his musical roots; as late as 1956, for instance, he recorded an all-jazz album, After Midnight. In 1991, Mosaic Records released the Complete Nat King Cole Trio Recordings on Capitol, which contained 349 songs on 27 LPs or 18 CDs.
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Greatest Hits
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Holidays & Hits
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The Ultimate Collection
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The World of Nat King Cole
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Top Tracks
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Unforgettable
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L-O-V-E
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The Christmas Song
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Mona Lisa
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| 5 |
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When I Fall In Love
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Nature Boy
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Smile
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Stardust
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Straighten Up and Fly Right
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Sweet Lorraine
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Let There Be Love
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Too Young
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The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)
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Walkin' My Baby Back Home
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(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66
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Shoutbox
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vjsupersaint wrote:
Come join us at Unsigned Christmas. A group designed for raising awareness of new artists taking Christmas & all music into a new decade. The Unsigned Christmas album has the top tunes to be heard this Christmas. http://www.last.fm/group/Unsigned+Christmas
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ihaveadream1963 wrote:
unforgettable - that's who you are. and forever more.......................
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maizaornellas wrote:
unforgettable voice. perfect. [2]
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babamulon wrote:
"Nature Boy" makes it rain every time. :D
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skank_pit wrote:
One of those rarest of diamonds
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cicca8 wrote:
Nat King Cole The Great !!!
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fiftyseven wrote:
Love his stuff in spanish.
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SiliaPsychi wrote:
That's why, Darling, it's incredible [2]
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pRAtt_aka_Ali wrote:
музыка этого человека - масса положительных эмоций!
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yaghma wrote:
love his voice and music
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svenge wrote:
The best.
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Sunzy wrote:
unforgettable voice. perfect.
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neverland_resim wrote:
喜欢你摇摆的节奏 永远永远
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kschro wrote:
perfect voice.
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Batiste369 wrote:
For the longest I couldn't get that part out myself
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wyld_life21 wrote:
"Unforgettable in every way and forever more that's how you stay .... that's why darling its incredible that someone so unforgettable" Cant get this line out of my mind ..... charmed I am by this man ....
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marcelodylan wrote:
MONA LISA MONA LISA PARARARA´TR00
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kepler789-982 wrote:
Maestro d'orchestra di vita
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Laro20 wrote:
His songs brings me the goosebumps.
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AnnaOR wrote:
Your voice will forever remind me of my grandad. Beautiful.
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