Nat King Cole - Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years 1936-1943 - Import 7 CD Box Set

Credits:

Nat King Cole

Description:

The official collection of recordings from his debut sessions at the age of 17 to just before his success at the Capitol, in partnership with the Cole Foundation! Featuring the King Cole Trio and others including Lester Young (ts) and Dexter Gordon (ts). Original recordings include previously unreleased takes on Decca, Philo, Mercury, Excelsior, and broadcast transcriptions! Unlike his popularity as a pop singer after the 1950s, King Cole sings and plays cocktail swing and jive music with a light touch. It's just chic! As for the piano playing, while following the style of Earl Hines, the modern side of the piano, free from the stride technique, is also very noteworthy. The session includes a variety of compositions, but the core is still the King Cole Trio. The first trio with Oscar Moore (g) & Wesley Prince (b) is fully covered.Speaking of piano trios, since the advent of Bud Powell, it is common to refer to a [piano/bass/drums] arrangement in which the pianist plays the dominant role, but King Cole at that time adopted a [piano/guitar/bass] arrangement with a guitar in place of drums. This arrangement had the appeal of thrilling ensemble and interplay between the three on equal footing, and was inherited by Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, and others.The performances are as follows: "Sweet Lorraine," "Straighten Up And Fly Right," and "Beautiful Moons Ago," which show a glimpse of the rare ballad singer, "Let's Pretend," "Rosetta," and "Honeysuckle Rose," which showcase his skills as an instrumentalist, and "Jetta," which reveals his wealth of ideas as an arranger. Pretend," "Rosetta" and "Honeysuckle Rose," which show off his skills as an instrumentalist, "Jingle Bells" and "Liebestraum," which reveal his wealth of ideas as an arranger, and "Let's Pretend," which sometimes accompanies Lester Young and Dexter Gordon as a session man and sometimes encourages them. The quality of "Indiana," "I've Found A New Baby," etc. ......, where he sometimes accompanies and sometimes encourages Lester Young and Dexter Gordon as a session man, will make you lose track of time and listen to them all! Guitarist Oscar Moore, who partners King Cole on many of the songs, brings out the best in his clear obbligato and moody chord work, establishing a jazz vocal accompaniment style.He is known for his early introduction of electric guitar along with Charlie Christian and his influence on Kenny Burrell. His lead playing on "Black Spider Stomp" shows off his swinging guitarist side. The booklet includes interviews with many of King Cole's mentors, including Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett, Quincy Jones, Harry Belafonte, John Pizzarelli, and Freddie Cole, as well as rare photos of King Cole himself. This is the ultimate collector's item, unique to Resonance Records, and is recommended for fans who own some of the previously dispersed recordings. Celebrate the 100th anniversary of King Cole's birth (2019) with this box set!

Tracklisting:

1.Honey Hush
2.Stompin’ at the Panama (Skoller’s Shuffle)
3.Bedtime (Sleepy Moan)
4.Thunder
5.Mutiny in the Nursery
6.F.D.R. Jones
7.The Sheik of Araby
8.The Blue Danube
9.Button, Button
10.Jingle Bells
11.Swanee River
12.With Plenty of Money and You
13.Don’t Blame Me
14.Lullaby in Rhythm
15.Dark Rapture
16.The Wiggly Walk
17.Flea Hop
18.Chopsticks
19.Patty Cake, Patty Cake
20.Blue Skies
21.Liza
22.Three Blind Mice
23.Caravan
24.There’s No Anesthetic for Love
25.Dixie Jamboree
26.Ta-De-Ah
27.Riffin’ at the Bar-B-Q
28.Harlem Swing
29.I Lost Control of Myself
30.Windy City Boogie Woogie
31.Ode to a Wild Clam