The Complete After Midnight Sessions

Cole, Nat King and His Trio

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The Teddy Bear Swings

Nat King Cole (1919–1965) went to swankyville gracefully, in a way that made musical sense. The Alabama native started his career as a jazz pianist, and despite the beauty of his warm-cocoa baritone, took to singing slowly. When he eventually stepped out front of big studio orchestras, on such themed records as Sings for Two in Love (1954), Cole retained his knack for sculpting phrases, and the ability to offset schmaltzy surroundings with the subtlest wink of irreverence.

Still the hipsters groaned. Here was a really smart jazz musician "wasting" his talent by singing garishly, and leaving jazz behind. The polite entertainer picked up on the derision; this album, which featured his trio joined by several jazz soloists, was a response to those who claimed he'd sold out. It's a great way to appreciate one of the most enchanting voices of the twentieth century.

The conceit is obvious: Here's the Cole trio doing its own thing after the paying customers have gone home. The spotlight is on the group's unperturbed, and seemingly effortless, sense of swing—when Cole sings jazz, he's not the marquee star but just part of the band. That doesn't mean he tears off wildly for points unknown; rather, he just takes it easy, taking time to poke around in the margins, dabbling rather than outright making declarations. His treatments of "Just You, Just Me" and "I Know That You Know" glide with the blithe, devil-may-care irreverence that vanished from popular music by the late '50s, never to return.

And even though he's off duty, Cole never stops being an entertainer. The solos are short and to the point, framed by the taciturn piano chords. The tunes include pieces Cole performed regularly and jazz treats like "Caravan," which features a spirited trombone solo from its composer, Juan Tizol. To discover why Cole remains unforgettable, cue up the shapely "Blame It on My Youth" or any of the ballads here, and relax, because that's what everyone involved is doing.

Genre: Vocals
Released: 1957, Capitol
Key Tracks: "Just You, Just Me," "Blame It on My Youth," "Caravan," "Sweet Lorraine"
Catalog Choice: Love Is the Things; The Christmas Song
Next Stop: Shirley Horn: Here's to Life
After That: Chet Baker: Let's Get Lost: The Best of Chet Baker Sings
Book Pages: 180–181

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