Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Claude Carrière
www.sagajazz.com
NAT KING Today we know, or at least we should know that Nat ‘King’ Cole had a unique and peerless velvety voice, but he was
COLE also a tremendous pianist, a forerunner and leader, the link between tradition which he assumed with brio and the
The Pianist modern piano where he was to act as guide, in a light and unassuming manner, the hallmark of a true creator. From
Earl Hines, the ‘Fatha’ of a host of pianists who broke away from the inhibited first styles, perfected by artists such as
James P. Johnson and Fats Waller, Nat had inherited rhythmic liberty, an impetuous attack, fantasy and his talents as an
equilibrist. On the other hand, from Teddy Wilson he had learnt accuracy, the equal phrasing and harmonic science as
had been taught by Tatum for those who could make good use of it. Using the discretion of the first cited artist and the
verve of the second, he rapidly invented his own style, characterised by a prodigious sense of shading, melodic
eloquence, spirit, elegance, charm and intense swing ensured by his assiduous left hand. Many were inspired by him.
Oscar Peterson was one of his most direct disciples, but Erroll Garner, Ahmad Jamal, Bill Evans, Red Garland, Wynton
Kelly and a thousand others are indebted to him. Moreover, he may not have been the initiator of the piano-guitar-bass
formula, but he popularised it as from 1937, and the impact of the trio was such that hundreds of pianists did likewise.
Tatum created his in 1943, the debut discs of Ray Charles were literally copies of Nat’s and, in the fifties, two of the most
popular combos, those of Peterson and Jamal, were formed in the same way and with the same feeling: three artists
playing together with a general participation rather than a pianist accompanied by two foils.
Nat Cole’s original trio is present in the majority of the tracks selected here. A drummer joins them in a few pieces, and
a bongo and conga player, Jack Costanzo participates in others. Throughout the album we can delight in the pianist’s
ardency – Cole Capers, Honeysuckle Rose, Bop-Kick, I Know That You Know, All Aboard, Sweet Georgia Brown – his
impeccable and unrelenting swing – Somebody Loves Me, Down by the Old Mill Stream, Rose Room, What Is This Thing
Called Love?, Lester Leaps In, Swingin’ the Blues, Miss Thing – and we can appreciate his romantic or simply tender side
– Penthouse Serenade, Laura, If I Should Lose You, The Man I Love, Body and Soul.
Finally, we must point out the fine arrangements made by Nat and his colleagues in some of the pieces they obviously
played more often, such as Body and Soul, Honeysuckle Rose and I Know That You Know, and the great talent of the
guitarists, Oscar Moore, Irving Ashby and John Collins, particularly that of the first on the acoustic guitar in the oldest
track, recorded in 1939, Rib Town Shuffle. This may well prompt us to bring out a second volume to pursue this very same
pleasurable adventure – whoever knows?
Claude Carrière
Adaptation by Laure Wright
www.sagajazz.com
NAT KING 01 Cole Capers (N. Cole) (1’56) 17 All Aboard (N. Cole) (2’15)
Blues In My Shower (N. Cole) (2’52)
COLE 02
03 Three Little Words (H. Ruby, B. Kalmar) (2’39)
NAT KING COLE (P); OSCAR MOORE (G); JOHNNY MILLER (B).
LOS ANGELES, 9 MARCH 1950.
The Pianist 04 How High The Moon (M. Lewis, N. Hamilton) (2’40)
NAT KING COLE (P); OSCAR MOORE (G); JOHNNY MILLER (B). 18 Sweet Georgia Brown (B. Bernie, M. Pinkard, K. Casey) (2’20)
LOS ANGELES, 13 AUG. 1947. NAT KING COLE (P); OSCAR MOORE (G); JOHNNY MILLER (B).
LOS ANGELES, 23 MAY 1945.
05 Penthouse Serenade (W. Jason,V. Burton) (3’07)
06 Somebody Loves Me (G. Gershwin, B. G. DeSylva, B. MacDonald) (3’08) 19 Lester Leaps In (L. Young) McGregor Transcriptions (2’34)
07 Laura (D. Raksin, J. Mercer) (2’47) 20 Wild Goose Chase (G. Gifford) McGregor Transcriptions (2’28)
08 Down By The Old Mill Stream (T. Taylor) (2’22) NAT KING COLE (P); OSCAR MOORE (G); JOHNNY MILLER (B).
09 If I Should Lose You (R. Rainger, L. Robin) (3’16) LOS ANGELES, 22 MAY 1944.
10 Rose Room (A. Hickman, H. Williams) (2’50)
NAT KING COLE (P); JOHN COLLINS (G); CHARLES HARRIS (B); BUNNY SHAWKER (D); 21 Swingin’ The Blues (C. Basie, E. Durham) McGregor Transcriptions (2’01)
JACK COSTANZO (BGO). NAT KING COLE (P); OSCAR MOORE (G); JOHNNY MILLER (B).
LOS ANGELES, 18 JULY 1952. LOS ANGELES, 21 NOV. 1944.
11 Honeysuckle Rose (T. F. Waller, A. Razaf) (2’38) 22 Miss Thing (C. Basie, S. Martin) McGregor Transcriptions (2’09)
NAT KING COLE (P); OSCAR MOORE (G); JOHNNY MILLER (B). NAT KING COLE (P); OSCAR MOORE (G); JOHNNY MILLER (B).
LOS ANGELES, 2 JULY 1947. LOS ANGELES, 12 MAY 1944.
Selection:
Claude Carrière 12 The Man I Love (G. & I. Gershwin) (3’26) 23 Rib Tour Shuffle (N. Cole) Standard Transcriptions (2’46)
Transfers & mastering: 13 Body And Soul (J. Green, E. Heyman, R. Sour, F. Eyton) (3’20) NAT KING COLE (P); OSCAR MOORE (G); WESLEY PRINCE (B).
Art & Son Studio, Paris NAT KING COLE (P); OSCAR MOORE (G); JOHNNY MILLER (B). LOS ANGELES, MAY 1939.
Cover photo LOS ANGELES, 17 JAN. 1944.
© Keystone
24 Fudge Wudge (N. Cole) Standard Transcriptions (3’49)
Artwork:
deluxedesigngraphique
14 Bop-Kick (N. Cole) (2’38) NAT KING COLE (P); OSCAR MOORE (G); WESLEY PRINCE (B).
NAT KING COLE (P); IRVING ASHBY (G); JOE COMFORT (B); LOS ANGELES, FEB. 1941.
Saga Jazz: JACK COSTANZO (BGO).
Philippe Baudoin LOS ANGELES, 22 MARCH 1949.
Jean Buzelin
Claude Carrière 15 I Know That You Know (V. Youmans, A. Caldwell) (2’29)
Noël Hervé
NAT KING COLE (P); OSCAR MOORE (G); JOHNNY MILLER (B).
Pierre Lafargue
NEW YORK, 18 OCT. 1945.
François Lê Xuân
Isabelle Marquis
Daniel Nevers 16 What Is This Thing Called Love (C. Porter) (3’04)
Alain Tercinet NAT KING COLE (P); OSCAR MOORE (G); JOHNNY MILLER (B).
LOS ANGELES, 17 JAN. 1944.
Check out and
download the
complete collection
www.sagajazz.com This compilation (P) & (C) 2003 Saga. All rights reserved. Unauthorized copying reproduction, hiring, lending, public performance & broadcasting prohibited.
sagajazz
Il est toujours bon de le rappeler : le jazz est, avec le cinéma, l’expression artistique majeure des cent dernières années. SAGAJAZZ se propose
de l’explorer d’une façon nouvelle et originale.
Ainsi seront redécouvertes sous un angle différent ses figures historiques, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, etc., au fil
de disques consacrés à des aspects particuliers de leur oeuvre. Ce voyage au pays du jazz se fera également au travers d’albums thématiques
qui traiteront de mille sujets aussi graves que les styles, les instruments, le répertoire, l’humour, l’amour, la danse, les trains, les chats…
On aura compris que SAGAJAZZ représente le moyen le plus agréable et le plus ludique d’aborder le jazz, sans pour autant que ses concepteurs
éprouvent le désir de ne s’adresser qu’aux partisans du moindre effort. Car ceux qui élaborent cette série ont déjà fait cent fois la preuve de
la solidité de leur connaissance du jazz, du sérieux de leur compétence, de leur longue expérience dans le domaine du disque en général
et de la réédition en particulier. Les membres de cette équipe, soudée par leur passion commune, apportent également à l’entreprise la
pluralité de leurs goûts, chance supplémentaire que le jazz soit présenté sous toutes les coutures, dans son infinie diversité.
Chaque numéro de la série SAGAJAZZ bénéficie d’une présentation soignée, son contenu est copieux, son livret donne tous les renseignements
discographiques souhaitables. Enfin, les textes se veulent informatifs, précis et documentés. Ainsi nous sont offerts, à portée de la main, les
chefs-d’oeuvre du jazz accompagnés de nombreuses et savoureuses pièces rares qui donneront à votre discothèque une précieuse plus-
value.
It’s always a good idea to remember that jazz, together with cinema, has been the major form of artistic expression for the past hundred
years. The intention of SAGAJAZZ is to relate its history, and explore it in a new, original way.
Seen from a different angle, its historic figures – Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, etc. – can now be rediscovered
through a series of records devoted to various aspects of their work. This journey through jazz-land is also accompanied by albums that are
thematic, dealing with subjects as serious as styles, instruments, repertoire, humour, love, dancing, trains, cats…
In other words, SAGAJAZZ has an approach that is fun, one you can play with, and those who conceived the series did much more than
address listeners wanting to keep their own efforts to a minimum. The creators of this collection have already demonstrated their knowledge
of jazz a hundred times over: these are seriously competent people, with a lengthy experience in the world of records in general, and re-
releases in particular.
United by a mutual passion for music, the team also contributed their definitely plural tastes to this enterprise. Each volume in the SAGAJAZZ
series is painstakingly presented with abundant contents, and each booklet gives all the discography information you could ever want to
know. The liner-notes are informative, precise, and well documented. The result is a useful, affordable series that presents jazz masterpieces
accompanied by numerous, savoury, rare titles that will give your own collection a special new value.
sagajazz RETROUVEZ ET TÉLÉCHARGEZ L’INTÉGRALITÉ DE LA COLLECTION
CHECK OUT AND DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE COLLECTION
CLICK HERE
WWW.SAGAJAZZ.COM
www.sagajazz.com