I'm merely writing this to share my views, mostly the superiority of the Cole's earlier recordings from the late 1930s-1940s and early '50s. By the end of the 1950s, Nat's music was less rooted in jazz and he played piano less and less. Of course he retained that legendary smooth crooning voice that in my opinion obliterates his competition from other male vocalists of his era. However, by that period his music was less rooted in his rhymically and harmonically advanced piano style and interesting smooth sound. As a trio, Cole's group was piano, bass and electric guitar, which gave him a unique sound compared to most jazz trios of the day, which were piano, bass and drums. Of course the blues and jazz elements were much stronger in this black trio than in his later solo career.
Although his solo career emphasized his phenomenal vocal powers, Cole's unique piano style and jazz-based music was lost in the schmaltzy pop of the 1950s and 60s. Indeed, his music became increasingly arranged to feature orchestral sections, and I hate jazz with strings. For example, Charlie Parkers subpar LP featuring a string section was incredibly "poppy" and loaded with the schmaltz often associated with white singers of the traditional pop/crooning styles of singing, often epitomized by Sinatra. Thus, the best songs of Cole's later recordings are usually the ones without the cheesy strings such as the class L-O-V-E, the song most often associated with Cole alongside Unforgettable. Still, these later records leave me disappointed and longing for the Cole who was closely associated with other jazz musicians such as Lester Young and who drew more inspiration from swing and blues of his black predecessors, especially Art Tatum and other jazz pianists. Where has Nat King Cole's smooth and light piano style gone? His sweet and lovely improvisations and the interesting lineup of his trio recordings made his records musically interesting, including his instrumentals.
In summation, where is the jazz? Cole became a pop star and had to drop his artistic and stylistic qualitiies that had made his Trio recordings unquestionably part of the jazz idiom. He appears to have sacrificed his artistic ideals for the fame and fortune of a pop star. This is not to say that Cole completely turned his back either. And he truly was a pioneer for black entertainers in this country's sordid racist past. I have nothing but great love and respect for this man. I hope he's playing the piano and singing in that lovely voice of his forever in the afterlife.
No comments:
Post a Comment