Nat King Cole Trio The Macgregor Yea

The Nat King Cole Trio - The MacGregor Years, 1941-1945 (1995) {4CD Set Music and Arts PoA, CD-911}
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© 1941-45, 1995 Music and Arts PoA | CD-911
Jazz / Swing / Vocal Jazz / Jump Blues / Traditional Pop

On this four-CD set are included the bulk of Nat King Cole's radio transcriptions of 1941 and 1944-45. Although the programming could be a little better (the complete sessions are not compiled strictly in chronological order), the music has a strong unity and is consistently enjoyable. Pianist-vocalist Cole and his trio (which also includes important contributions by guitarist Oscar Moore and either Johnny Miller or Wesley Prince on bass) are featured extensively both as a unit and as an accompanying group to singers Anita Boyer, Ida James, Anita O'Day and the Barrie Sisters on 33, 15, five and five songs respectively.

For those needing a reminder of Cole's very original and expert piano playing, this 18-track roundup of some of his best instrumentals should fit the bill. Part of Capitol's three-volume series of Cole's classic trio sides (the other two cover the vocals), The Best of the Nat King Cole Trio includes gem after gem from the group's 1943-1949 prime and features the classic lineup that included guitarist Oscar Moore and bassist Johnny Miller. With Cole and Moore seamlessly blending lines throughout, the group forged the standard for many a piano trio to follow by way of classics like "Jumpin' at Capitol," "Sweet Georgia Brown," and "These Foolish Things."

This fine complement to Capitol's earlier collection of Nat "King" Cole Trio vocals (1942-1946) delivers another generous selection of the singer's prime early work. And while it's not as packed with hits as the prior disc is ("Route 66," "Sweet Lorraine," "Straighten Up and Fly Right"), the second volume still contains a nonstop array of Cole's near-perfect singing and tasty piano work. Along with smashes like "Too Marvelous for Words," the collection takes in the usual Cole mix of glowing ballads ("Tis Autumn"), playful novelties ("Ooh Kickeroonie"), and svelte swingers ("When I Take My Sugar to Tea")…

Nat King Cole - The Complete Capitol Recordings Of The Nat King Cole Trio (1942-1961) {18CD Box Set Mosaic MD18-138 rel 1991}
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© 1942-61, 1991 Capitol / Mosaic Records | MD18-138
Jazz / Vocal Jazz / Swing / Traditional Pop

This collection contains 349 songs recorded at 91 separate recording sessions between October 11, 1942 and March 23, 1961. Two-thirds of the selection on this 18-disc anthology have either been out out of print since the 1940s, or have never been released in any form. Cole's 1956 album, AFTER MIDNIGHT, is included here in its entirety, along with all of the trio's more familiar songs. Included in this set are 104 tracks previously unavailable on US LPs. Sixty-six of the tracks were previously unavailable anywhere. Fifty-six rare Capitol radio transcriptions appear commercially for the first time. Dozens of the tracks appear at the correct speed for the first time ever.

Nat "King" Cole's 16 trio recordings for Decca have been reissued many times (including on this CD), and rightfully so. Cole was already one of the top swing pianists by 1940, his vocal style (best displayed on his first hit "Sweet Lorraine") was quite recognizable, and his trio with guitarist Oscar Moore and bassist Wesley Prince had a memorable sound. Cole's Decca records (his first for a major label) were a breakthrough for Nat, although his Capitol recordings (which started in 1943) really paved the way toward major success. In addition to "Sweet Lorraine," highlights of this fine CD include "Honeysuckle Rose," "I Like to Riff," and "Hit That Jive, Jack" (which has the Trio's most famous group vocal).

This Live at the Circle Room date has been issued before, but the bonus material of the same band from a later date makes this an extra special set. For starters, the Circle Room, in the Hotel La Salle in Milwaukee, was the town's premier jazz spot in 1946. The first 17 tracks on this CD come from four performances between September 21 and 25 of that year. Cole, with Oscar Moore and Johnny Miller, had begin his singing career in earnest, and playing in front of a lounge crowd seemed like the most natural thing in the world for him. Indeed, as bottles click, and the periodic murmur of voices in the foreground appear in the mix, the listener will be transported into Cole's magical space. From Ellington's "C Jam Blues," to "I'm in the Mood for Love," "I'm Thru With Love," and "Sweet Georgia Brown," the Cole trio kicks it with grace and elegance.