Nat "King" Cole - The Complete Nelson Riddle Studio Sessions

2018 release

Nat Cole played such an indispensable role in the early success of Capitol in the 40s and 50s that the label’s famous cylindrical, “stacks of wax”-shaped tower building – one of Hollywood’s most iconic edifices – was often referred to as “the house that Nat built.”

While it can be plausibly argued that Capitol’s rise to corporate riches was hugely reliant on their velvet-voiced cash cow, it’s also feasible that the Alabama-born Cole wouldn’t have morphed convincingly from a cult jazz pianist into a mainstream pop crooner without the input of Nelson Riddle.

The redoubtable New Jersey arranger, two years Cole’s junior, first hooked up with the singer to form a fecund and symbiotic creative partnership that predated his celebrated collaborations with Sinatra. The extent of Riddle’s input is revealed on this well-packaged 216-song box set that spans the decade 1950- 60. Many of Cole’s immortal performances are present – including Mona Lisa and Unforgettable – but the set also features material from lesser-known albums, exemplified by selections from 1956’s The Piano Style Of Nat ‘King’ Cole, an instrumental LP that spotlights Cole’s considerable yet largely unheralded piano skills. Charles Waring - Record Collector Mag