Customer Reviews

Big Band Cole

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4 star:		(1)
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This CD has quickly become one of my favorites. The Count Basie Orchestra sounds great behind Nat, with the in-your-face horn section and kick a** drumming techniques. On the swinging "Madrid", that's the brash Billy May directing the Count Basie Orchestra. However, the Basie band isn't the only band featured on this CD. On the last five cuts on the CD, that's Stan Kenton and his group, sounding just as great in 1960 (stereo version) as it did in 1950 (mono version) on both takes of "Orange Colored Sky".

My favorite cuts on this offering are the Bizet opera "Carmen"-inspired "Madrid", "She's Funny That Way", "Anytime, Anyday, Anywhere", "The Blues Don't Care", "Mood Indigo", "My Love" (a R&B rocker that Nat definitely gets busy on), "Steady", "Baby Won't You Please Come Home", "I Want A Little Girl" and the seductive and steamy delivery of "Wee Baby Blues". Nat's voice sounds so different, but oh so delicious! All you'll want to say is "Oooh wee, baby!"

You will love everything on this CD...Nat King Cole could sing ANYTHING, and he never sounded better than he does here. Absolutely a must-have.

Nat King Cole singing with a big band, and the Count Basie band at that. What could be better? Add some sides done with the Stan Kenton band, that's how. The first 11 cuts were released on an album titled "Welcome to the Club" without crediting the band; "Madrid" was done at the same time but not included on the LP. Unfortunately for Basie devotees, he wasn't at the keyboard on these sessions. The CD ends with five recordings Cole did with the Kenton band, on two of which he also plays piano. Interesting is the comparison of the two recordings of the same arrangement of "Orange Colored Sky", the first done in 1950, the second in 1960. Other than the dynamic difference in recording techniques between the two, I was drawn to the improvement in the band's vocal parts. (All those years singing "Laura" must have helped.) There is too much here that is outstanding to single anything out. Instead, I will point out the sole weak spot in the entire CD: the tenor solo by Billy Mitchell on "The Late, Late Show". Everything else is superb.

Great tracks are happening on this CD! It's amazing how many songs this true vocaist recorded. It's so sad that Mr. Cole isn't still around recording songs of today. We have very few contemporary Big Band vocalists (Harry Connick, Jr., Michael Poss, Brian Setzer) that can carry and playfully translate "lush", "cool" vocals against the Big Band sounds. I love "Orange Colored Sky" and "Mood Indingo". Excellent Arrangements on most of these tracks! A 'must have' CD for every N.K.C. fan!

Big Band Cole features Nat with some of the best musicians you could ever ask for--The Count Basie Band and The Stan Kenton Band. Excellent! The quality of the sound is very good and the artwork is nicely done as well.

"She's Funny That Way" starts off the track set with Nat crooning his very best. The brass sounds great at the beginning especially and the piano arrangement is very good. Nat sings this effortlessly and you're sure to like this one. "I Want A Little Girl" has a big band style arrangement and Nat sings this with great sensitivity as he dreams of the perfect girlfriend for him. Listen also for "Mood Indigo;" the music starts and when Nat comes in this number takes flight! Nat sings this with panache and charm.

"Avalon" has a string arrangement and Nat sings this so well as he does this with a faster than normal tempo; it all works very well. I love that brass on "Avalon!" "Baby, Won't You Please Come Home" again features Nat's vocals squarely in the spotlight; and he never sings superfluous note! Again the brass makes the arrangement so special.

"Welcome To The Club" has a big band arrangement that can't be beat; and Nat delivers this flawlessly. Nat sings so well of how a relationship didn't work out for his buddy--and then he adds that he's been burnt, too.

There are two versions of "Orange Colored Sky" on this CD. The first has Nat crooning solid but softly with a strong male backup chorus to bolster his performance; and there are great tempo and key changes, too. The second version of "Orange Colored Sky" sounds mighty similar--but if I read the liner notes correctly, the second version is stereo and the first version is mono.

The album ends great with Nat on "My Love;" this bouncy little number sounds great. Nat never sounded better and the backup vocalists do a great job harmonizing to support Nat. "My Love" is chock full of positive energy and this upbeat tune is the perfect ending for this album.

Overall, fans of Nat King Cole will consider this album a true must-have for their collections. People who enjoy classic pop vocals with big band style arrangements will also enjoy this album.

OK, it's got the Basie band, and Billy May's orchestra - but these, however tasty, are icing on the cake. The crown jewels in this CD are the eleven tracks from Nat's Welcome to the Club LP, with the Stan Kenton band (not credited as such on the original LP's back cover, although credit was given to individual musicians), with arrangements by Dave Cavanaugh.

Nat's deserved success as a balladist unfortunately overshadowed his talent as, first and foremost, a jazz musician - but that side of him shines through, beautifully, in the WttC selections.

Unlike the schmaltz he was often led to recording in his Capitol singles and LPs (which he of course performed masterfully, but come on...), those tracks show Nat at his swingin' best. As suave as ever, yet appropriately raucuous in the uptempo Avalon and Look Out for Love, mournful in Mood Indigo (Ella, eat your heart out) and Wee Baby Blues (oooh, that "Oo-whee, baby"...) and gliding effortlessly with the beat in the title track, The Late Late Show and I Want a Little Girl. All delivered with what was perhaps Nat's greatest gift as a singer, his seamlessly smooth phrasing.

For some unfathomable idiotic reason, the producers of this CD have chosen to put the Welcome to the Club tracks out of their original order (that's 9, 2, 5, 4, 7, 8, 6, 1, 3, 11, 10), but it really doesn't matter. If you're a purist, use the program function in your player - better yet, burn your own CD... If you're not, and stepped into the club just for the show, simply enjoy it: dey don't do dat like dis anymore.

"Welcome to te Club" ws the original title to this, which I think is the best of Nat King Cole's big band records. Hard driving, beautifully orchestrated and a lot of fun.

The late Nat Cole is one of those treasures of American Music. He was a great Jazz pianist and singer, no doubt. Also a stylish balladeer with great albums but with some neglectable ones.

This bigband collection is a must, a great showcase of his recordings with Count Basie, Stan Kenton, and with arrangements by Billy May although it covers not all his bigband material.

Commercially well succeed 'Madrid' as well as 'Orange Colored Sky' are included and keep me singing 'flash-bam, alakazam, suddenly you came by'. Great!