NAT "KING" COLE – 1947-1949 | The Chronogical Classics – 1155 (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Nat King Cole could charm most listeners by simply singing a few lines from the phone book. His delivery is so intoxicating that even less-than-stellar material doesn't cause so much as a blink of the eye. This is true with Classics' collection of some of his 1947-1949 cuts, where hardly a classic standard or hit is in sight. What one does get, though, is a generous dose of Nat Cole and the trio's slow-riffin' best . While ranging from the ballad perfection of "How Lonely Can You Get" and "Lost April" to svelte blues sides like "My Mother Told Me," Cole, guitarist Irving Ashby, and bassist Johnny Miller show how they perfected the piano trio template forged by the singer's first group with guitarist Oscar Moore and bassist Wesley Prince. The disc also includes two boppish instrumentals: "Leap Here" and "Metronome Riff," featuring Cole with large combos stuffed with likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy DeFranco, Bob Cooper, Art Pepper, Bill Harris, and Shelly Manne. Also included are two takes of "Portrait of Jennie," an early strings affair that nicely foreshadows Cole's symphonic run of hits in the '50s. This disc might not work too well as a prime introduction to the the Nat Cole Trio's '40s material -- check out Capitol's Vocal Classics titles for that -- but it certainly will please fans wanting to delve beyond the more popular tracks. And for those keen on getting a good share of Cole's instrumental and jazz-centric sides, check out Capitol's Instrumental Classics and Jazz Encounters collections. Stephen Cook
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NAT "KING" COLE – 1949 | The Chronogical Classics – 1196 (2001) FLAC (tracks), lossless

This thirteenth volume in the Classics Nat King Cole chronology gathers together all of his Capitol recordings made between March 22 and August 2, 1949. As one of Capitol's star attractions, Cole was now interacting with other musicians from the label's variegated roster of talent. Although the phrase 'King Cole Trio' was still appearing in print, Cole, his guitarist Irving Ashby and bassist Joe Comfort, now joined by bongo and conga drummer Jack Costanzo, were surrounded at times by an orchestra -- loaded with strings -- led by Pete Rugolo. This was actually a direct result of Stan Kenton having disbanded in December 1948. Exhausted and ill, Kenton wouldn't record again with his monster band until February 1950. Rugolo was Kenton's right-hand man and Costanzo was an essential component in the Kenton orchestra's Latin American percussion section. With Kenton in temporary retirement, the A&R directors at Capitol started combining talent, and that's how during the year 1949 the 'King Cole Trio' began to sound like an adjunct of the Stan Kenton orchestra. While the trio/quartet sides maintain a decent level of artistic integrity the larger ensembles, together with sugared group choral backgrounds by Alyce King's Vokettes and The Starlighters (also known by the cutesy name "Four Hits and a Miss") seemed to be announcing the arrival of that golden era of over-sweetened pop vocals, the 1950s. arwulf arwulf  
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NAT "KING" COLE – 1949-1950 | The Chronogical Classics – 914 (1996) FLAC (tracks), lossless

With his amazingly warm and intimate vocal style, Nat King Cole could handle any song he came across, transforming it into a cool expressive croon that is unsurpassed in the pop realm. This collection includes perhaps his most famous song, the string-drenched "Mona Lisa," but it also features several lesser known pieces, many of them falling into the novelty song category, a genre Cole practically defined with his assured singing and often innovative (and spare) arrangements. "The Horse Told Me" is a case in point. Essentially a game of whispers turned into a song, Cole's easy vocal puts it over while the odd arrangement, a mix of junkyard percussion and classy piano, keeps it fresh. Another highlight here is "Calypso Blues," which features a marvelously controlled vocal set over a sparse bongo track, and it indicates how versatile Cole was. There is really no song or style he couldn't make his own. While this release is relatively narrow in its focus, it shouldn't be passed over by Cole fans. Steve Leggett  
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