Nat King Cole - Best of Nat King Cole: The Instrumental Classics/The Vocal Classics

Before he achieved his tremendous success as a ballad singer, Nat "King" Cole was already a great jazz pianist, with the effervescent swing of Earl Hines and the grace of Teddy Wilson. The trio that he led through the '40s was a unique musical group, a perfect forum for Cole's talents as both a swing pianist and a vocalist who could range comfortably from boppish instrumentals to moving ballads to infectious novelty tunes. With the instrumentation of piano, guitar, and bass, the group combined light textures and solid swing, and guitarist Oscar Moore, one of the first to master the single-string possibilities of the electric instrument, was Cole's equal as an improviser. Ranging from 1942 to 1950, this three-CD set is an excellent compilation of the trio's recordings, with the first disc devoted to instrumentals and the other two to vocals. From the sly irony of "Meet Me at no Particular Place" to the warmth and immediacy of "You're the Cream in my Coffee," the music possesses a charm that's rooted in its period but which extends far beyond it. --Stuart Broomer Amazon.com

Best collection of Nat Cole Trio ANYWHERE.

I'm not going to beat a dead horse on the quality of this music. Anyone who has made it this far probably knows how amazing the Nat Cole Trio was. So, i'm just going to give a review of this particular box set.

This box set actually contains three CDs which were originally individual releases by Capitol/Blue Note records. (You can still buy them individually, too). This box set is EXACTLY the same as the individual releases, except the box set has a flimsy cardboard outer slipcase that the 3 plastic CD cases slide into.

The sound quality on these discs is the best i've heard of these recordings. The remastering that has been done on these is really top-notch, and can't be surpassed by any of the bootlegs that are sold here on Amazon.

The three discs included are:
Best of the Nat King Cole Trio: Vocal Classics (1942-1946)
Best of the Nat King Cole Trio: Vocal Classics (1947-1950)
Best of the Nat King Cole Trio: Instrumental Classics

November 22, 2007

What a sound!

I bought this set to hear Cole's vocals with the trio from 1942 to 1950 on two of the three CD's. I wasn't disappointed. What I didn't expect was to be absolutely bowled over by the third CD - the purely instrumental tracks. I knew what a terrific jazz pianist Cole was, but was unprepared for the way Oscar Moore's guitar work comes to the forefront in these "instrumental only" cuts. The chemistry between Moore and Cole is musical virtuosity of the very first order. They seem to be in each others heads and souls. Johnny Miller on bass is no slouch and is indispensable. But it's Oscar and Nat's pyrotechnic show. I'd pay the price of this 3-CD set just for the instrumental CD. By the time I got to the vocal CD's, the voice (NKC lover that I am, this is heresy) almost got in the way of listening to the trio. July 31, 2001

unforgetable

these song I always hear echoing in my ears, body and soul for they are unforgetable. make one wants to listen to them times and times again, anyplace anytime. Unforgetably top quality. March 20, 2000

Best Of The Capitol Trio!

This 3-CD set is the best tracks from the 18-CD box set: "Complete Capitol Recordings Of The Nat King Cole Trio", which is no longer in print (well worth finding if you can track one down). It's tough to boil 18+ hours worth of material down to only 3 CDs, but they do a good job here! Tracks like "Bop-Kick", "You're The Cream In My Coffee", "No Moon At All", "Ooh Kickaroonie", "Meet Me At No Particular Place", "Dream A Little Dream", plus all the well-known tracks like "Route 66" and "Straighten Up & Fly Right" make this a solid well-rounded package of the best of the trio material! Terrific ensemble playing by everyone, and Oscar Moore plays some great guitar licks too! If you like Nat King Cole, this box is a great addition to any CD collection! December 26, 1998

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