In Cole mood

A feast of Nat King Cole sounds unexpectedly happened this week with the arrival of two Cole-inspired albums. Inspiration, A Tribute To Nat King Cole by George Benson and En Español, the first all-Spanish album by Cole’s daughter Natalie, inspired by her father’s Spanish recordings. There is no question that Nat Cole was a great pianist and vocalist, whose body of work is truly timeless. But hearing those much-loved songs again as exquisite tributes renders them doubly enchanting. These are definitely two of the year’s best releases. I can already smell some Grammy nominations.

Benson set his claim to the Nat Cole legacy early in his CD. The opening track has Benson, all of eight years old singing Mona Lisa. The recording was a price in a talent contest that he won in 1951. He even accompanied himself on the ukulele. He also ends the set with Mona Lisa recorded many, many years later. No uku this time around. Instead, Benson plays the guitar in Cole’s Nelson Riddle arrangement as performed by the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. The interpretation is nothing imitative. It is pure Benson and absolutely divine.

There is a very important similarity between Cole and Benson. Both started out as jazz musicians before being discovered as vocalists. He is a guitarist while Cole played the piano. This must be the reason why they share a breezy quality in even their pop recordings. This is very engaging. But while Cole was pure velvet, the now 70-year-old Benson, who had hits with This Masquerade, On Broadway, The Greatest Love Of All and others, has a clarity of tone that now brings out new facets in the old songs. This, coupled with the original arrangements, Benson’s scatting guitar and all those memories, make for an extraordinary, goosey experience.

Inspiration, A Tribute To Nat King Cole by George Benson, also has Just One Of Those Things; Unforgettable featuring Wynton Marsalis on trumpet; Walking My Baby Back Home; When I Fall In Love featuring Idina Menzel, star of Wicked and Glee; Route 66; Nature Boy; Ballerina; Smile featuring German trumpet player Till Bronner; Straighten Up And Fly Right; Too Young with The Voice discovery Judith Hill; and I’m Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter.

Natalie Cole was born the crown princess to her father’s kingdom and isn’t it great that she exceeded all expectations. She has a very good hit-making record. Inseparable, Mr. Melody, Our Love, I Live For Your Love. She has also successfully taken on the Nat King Cole catalogue. Their duets of Unforgettable and When I Fall In Love, done posthumously through digital recording, are considered landmarks. She has now plunged into his treasure trove of Spanish hits and done another fantastic job.

You can literally hear a smile in the way Natalie sings throughout the album. She is clearly happy about this experience. The Spanish compositions, some of the most popular in pop music history, have also been given a sweet R&B vibe by her pretty catch in the throat vocals. And adding a definite Latin spin to the brew is Cuban singer, songwriter and producer Rudy Perez who also arranged and performed in most of the cuts. I remember him from some of my favorite Luis Miguel recordings. Natalie did so right in collaborating with him for this very special album.

Natalie Cole En Espanol is made up of Frenesi; a medley of Voy A Apagar La Luz and Contigo Aprendi; Acercate Mas, a duet with her dad; Manana De Carnaval; Besame Mucho, a duet with tenor Andrea Bocelli; Quizas, Quizas, Quizas arranged by David Foster and produced by Foster and Humberto Gatica; Solamente Una Vez; a pulsating medley of Oye Como Va, La Ultima Noche, Quien Sera, Yo Quiero Contigo Bailar and Guajira; Yo Lo Amo, a Spanish take on Lennon and McCartney’s And I Love Her featuring trumpet wizard Chris Botti; El Dia Que Me Quieras; Bachata Rosa with the Dominican artist Juan Luis Guerra; and Amapola.

Great sounds and I am already wanting more. I hope, and I am sure that a lot of you are also hoping, that Volumes 2 of these irresistible albums are already in the works. And let us all hope that these will include the following:

For Benson: Stardust, Blue Gardenia, Autumn Leaves, Let There Be Love, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup, Sweet Lorraine, Somewhere Along The Way. For Natalie: Cachito, Perfidia, Noche de Ronda, Piel Canela, Aquellos Ojos Verdes, Te Quiro Dejiste, Maria Elena and others.