From jazz trio pianist to romantic balladeer, his recordings have stayed in steady circulation for decades.
For the trio sound, check 'The King Cole Trio Sings George Gershwin.' For the later romantic material, 'I Love You For Sentimental Reasons' frames that side well.
Cole's voice had a particular warmth and clarity that suited romantic material, heard in songs like 'I Love You For Sentimental Reasons' and 'Autumn Leaves.' He recorded in multiple languages, including Spanish versions like 'Ansiedad,' and later singles such as 'Ramblin' Rose' kept his sound on radio playlists into the 1960s. Facing the racial barriers of his time, he still became one of the first Black artists to host a national television variety show in the 1950s.
He started as a pianist leading a trio in the 1930s, with Oscar Moore on guitar and Wesley Prince on bass, playing a mix of jazz and swing. The group recorded albums like 'The King Cole Trio Sings George Gershwin' in 1945 and 'Nat King Cole: Sings for Two in Love' in 1953. His music, from the trio recordings to the later orchestrated ballads, has remained in steady circulation long after his death.
Keep it compact: a lyric you come back to, a live memory, or the part of the catalog you would point someone toward first.
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