NAT "KING" COLE - Year by Year - Part 2

King Cole Trio Joins Big Band

How would you like to stumble on a Nat King Cole piece that you can’t find any mention of in the literature or on the internet? At least, I can’t find that anyone has mentioned it. It came out in 2003. It is a swinging big band from the big band era with integrated solos for each member of the Trio. It is “a real show-stopper” with “frantic up-tempos.” Those were the words used to describe the first version (1941) [no trio] on RCA Victor Bluebird B-11341. It was re-recorded on March 26, 1945 at NBC Studios and the sound is decent from a 2003 transfer and the performance has been polished to a fare-thee-well.

Back Bay Boogie (4 min. 28 sec.)
Benny Carter big band with the King Cole Trio throughout.
THE JUBILEE SHOWS NO. 207 & 214
Jubilee CD 501 1003, 2003. The CD was put out by http://storyville-records.com/ in Denmark.

There is no mention of this collaboration in the standard discographies – the Berger 2001 edition for Benny Carter (borrowed), or the Teubig book on Cole (borrowed). I do not have access to the Roy Holmes lists for Cole. And there is no mention of the collaboration even on the track list for the CD. Cole is not even mentioned on the front cover.

I might have missed this piece if I hadn’t gone back and read the small print notes in the booklet written by John McDonough who has written for Downbeat for decades. He says “The treat of the program is “Back Bay Boogie”, where Cole and the Trio, Johnny Miller and guitarist Oscar Moore, sit in with the Carter band, a combination likely developed when they were on the road together earlier in the month. Emmett Berry and Bumps Myers solo on trumpet and tenor respectively.” Actually, they had been on the road together off and on since Fall 1944.

Go to this address to hear a 30 second sample of Back Bay Boogie which includes Nat’s piano.

http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=6138228

Here is a tracklist I typed in on my software. The King Cole Trio also play versions of Paper Moon and Sweet Lorraine. I put off buying this for the longest time, knowing you get some acts you can’t stand (Rose Murphy) along with a lot of radio chatter.

01 - (0:55) Introduction
02 - (3:25) Jubilee Jump - Benny Carter
03 - (3:03) Trouble, Trouble - Betty Roche
04 - (3:27) It's Only A Paper Moon - King Cole Trio
05 - (4:28) Back Bay Boogie - Benny Carter & King Cole Trio
06 - (0:27) Unidentified
07 - (3:07) Jimmy Durante
08 - (2:58) Jimmy Durante
09 - (2:55) Tea For Two - Barney Bigard
10 - (3:28) Sweet Lorraine - King Cole Trio
11 - (1:53) Chicago - Benny Carter
12 - (1:14) Redskin Rhumba - Charlie Barnet
13 - (2:57) Obble-Ee-Eebop - Charlie Barnet
14 - (4:45) Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone - Eddie Heywood
15 - (3:46) I Can't Give You Anything But Love - Rose Murphy
16 - (4:07) Cherokee - Charlie Barnet
17 - (5:04) Begin The Beguine - Eddie Heywood
18 - (3:32) Somebody Else, Not Me - Sam Deacon Mcdaniel
19 - (2:48) Cotton Tail - Charlie Barnet
20 - (1:32) Redskin Rhumba - Charlie Barnet

This Back Bay Boogie reminds me of Woody Herman’s Apple Honey, which I have always admired. Maybe, since Benny Carter wrote Back Bay Boogie in 1941, I should say that Apple Honey reminds me of Back Bay Boogie. The CD is available in the usual places.

 

Wow. This is quite a find! That's for letting us know about this one, Dale. Does Nat do any talking (introductions, etc.) during the radio program?

The Teubig discography lists the session, but only shows "Paper Moon" and "Sweet Lorraine" by the trio, along with a comedy skit of some kind. Those three tracks were previously issued on LP in the USA and in Germany, but you're right, there is no mention of "Back Bay Boogie" being performed.

Does this CD include the "comedy skit" featuring Cole, Ernie 'Bubbles' Whitman, Arthur Teacher and Benny Carter?

 

No, for the Jubilee programs there is an emcee, Bubbles Whitman who is an "acquired" taste.

 

No, it seems that they would pick and choose what went on the Jubilee transcription discs, mostly because of time I suppose. Or it may be on the original and Storyville decided to leave it off in 2003. I believe I have read that sometimes Jubilee would only use a portion of a song.

 

While digging for information about the King Cole Trio with the Benny Carter big band, I ran across some info that relates to Nat.

Nat and Benny Carter must have been fairly good friends. They go back to 1941 for the start of their working relationship. At the end, Benny Carter was one of Nat's pallbearers. The next couple of quotes are from the Benny Carter biography and discography: Benny Carter, A Life In American Music by Monroe Berger, Edward Berger and James Patrick. Second Edition. Scarecrow Press & Institute of Jazz Studies, 2002. 2 volumes.

Benny Carter lived to be 95 and died just recently in 2003. Loren Schoenberg recounts that on a visit to the 92 year old Carter,

Carter signed with Capitol in 1943 just as Nat King Cole did. His trumpet solo is really something to hear on Capitol's I Surrender Dear from May 21, 1944.

The caption for the first photograph says: "Carter (right) and his friend George Rich use Rich's new Cadillac and The University of Chicago as a backdrop for a 1933 picture. Carter was in Chicago to persuade pianist Teddy Wilson to leave the Windy City for Carter's band." He succeeded.

 

Came back from vacation a few days ago, and now I'm snowed under at work again. Thanks so much to Dale and taylor and everyone else for *great* posts on NKC. Wonder where apileocole is....?

Best, Ben

 

Benny Carter and Nat King Cole -- the racial incident of 1944 -- versions.

Daniel Epstein's 1999 biography of Nat explains it this way:

Metromone, Oct. 1944, said "Because of the threats of hoodlums at the Plantation Club, and an assault on a musician (J.J. Johnson) in Carter's band, Cole and Carter quit their engagement."

Here is Benny Carter's version in the Berger biography:

In 1994 Max Roach, the drummer on the 1944 roadtrip, remembered it this way:

In the Giants of Jazz series, for the 3LP Benny Carter volume (around 1980), the editor passes on this anecdote which Carter denies.

 

I just acquired the Promotional Record for Night Lights/To The Ends Of The Earth . The single was released 9/56 according to The Classic Singles.

First the Capitol purple label and then the Promotional Record. Promos were often done in white, but Capitol decided to do this one in bright yellow, and put a picture of Nat on the label.

Question: Did Capitol do any other picture label releases on vinyl for NKC?

 

No other vinyl discs that I know of featured a photo of Nat on the label. (That "Night Lights" 45 is pretty cool, by the way.) The closest one I can think of is this promotional LP that was given to people attending the annual dinner for donors to the Nat King Cole Foundation in the 1960s, which was formed after Nat died. I believe this LP features one or two performances that even now are only available on this particular limited-edition disc. And as you can see, the label features that classic "Nat King Cole Story" line drawing...

 

As long as we're talking about Nat's 7-inch discs, I thought I'd mention an oddity I picked up a few weeks ago. It's a collection of stereo jukebox singles from Nat's "Magic Of Christmas" album. I already had a few sets of these stereo Christmas singles, but this one was advertised as "unplayed" (which it seems to be), so I grabbed it.

What makes this set odd is that the track configuration is different from the other versions I've seen: Two of the singles each include two songs on the A-side, rather than one. Not a big deal -- just unexpected. I thought it was also odd that the catalog numbers of these two singles are the same as the other versions that just have one song on the A side...

 

I love seeing those Clark.

If you get the chance I would be interested in knowing what the song line-up for Side 1 was, for the PRO 4304. Since I saw that record number in the STARDUST discography, I have wondered about it. Who knows, maybe another one will turn up someday.

 

Here are scans of the Side 1 label, front cover and the text on the back cover. I see copies of this album pop up on ebay at times, and they sometimes go for a reasonable price. I was able to get my copy for just $20 or $30 and it's in great shape.

 

Very nice and rare. You have something that is quite unique. I am glad to be able to see it.

 

Thanks for the scans, guys.

I waaay overpaid for that album when I get it a number of years ago. At the time I didn't mind as it was the only way to get most of those tunes. Now all but "Sweet William" and "Sleeping Beauty" are available on the Bear Family sets and some other issues.

 

Jordan,
Is there only one album of this type? I seem to recall that LPs were given out each year at this foundation's annual dinner, but perhaps they just gave away copies of this same LP each year... I'm just wondering if there is another version with a different track listing that would be worth tracking down.
Clark

 

Clark,

To the best of my knowledge this was one-time affair. I could be mistaken, but I think 1967 was the only year such a gala was held.

 

I was looking for more pictures of Jimmy Lyons on the internet, and Bingo!, there were pictures of Jimmy, Nat, Lena, Frank in a BLOG entry August 2008 by a lovely lady named Betty from the San Francisco area. Betty saw the Trio perform at a club in Hollywood.

Below, picture of the script; next, Lena Horne with Eddie "Rochester" Anderson; next, unidentified, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Joe Louis, Jimmy Lyons, & Nat King Cole; last picture, Lena Horne, Jimmy Lyons, Thelma Carpenter, Frank Sinatra.

 

Nice records! And what good songs....

Thanks all for keeping things going. Still listening to NKC every day on disc and on the radio. As you know on XM's Sinatra station they play a fair amount of NKC.

 

Here's another odd Cole release on vinyl. It's an orange-vinyl version -- from Taiwan, I believe -- of the album "Songs From Cat Ballou And Other Motion Pictures."

 

How's the sound on that disc, Clark? Any better than the US LP?

 

I don't know. I've always assumed it sounds terrible and is sourced from a real Capitol LP, rather than Capitol's tapes. (I have few other Taiwanese imports that are on weird, non-Capitol labels. I'll check out the sound on these and report back...)

 

Charlie Parker and Nat King Cole

I have to admit I never paid much attention to the 40's non-Capitol Cole until recently. This piece with Charlie Parker is pretty obscure. It was not going to be a jam session. It was a radio recording for the Armed Forces. It could have been a great jam session. You had --

King Cole Trio
Charlie Parker
Benny Carter
Willie Smith
Buddy Rich

April 1946, Los Angeles, NBC Studios, Jubilee program #186.

There were three alto saxes, but they decided on a medley format with each alto taking a different tune. This photo was from the Benny Carter biography by Berger. It shows Benny Carter, Willie Smith, Nat King Cole, Charlie Parker, and Jimmy Lyons (the Jubilee producer).



If you slice out the Charlie Parker part, we are talking one track that shows up on various Bird compilations.

Also it is disappointing that Nat King Cole is not given solo space. Even so, I tracked down a couple of different compilations. Neither one is easy to find. The LP from 1977 has got to be one of the most unique titles that includes Nat Cole. I love this title: YARDBIRD IN LOTUS LAND. It only has the Parker-Cole Cherokee.



The complete version of the group is on a hard-to-find Italian CD series of Charlie Parker called BIRD'S EYES. This one is Bird's Eyes, Vol. 18, Stardust. Philology W848.2, [1994] The whole session lasts about 9 1/2 minutes and includes Willie Smith playing Tea for Two, Benny Carter playing Body and Soul, and Charlie Parker playing Cherokee.

There is an introduction by the m.c., Ernie Whitman:

The performances are very good but it is mostly for the alto players. Oscar Moore does most of the accompanying for Willie Smith on Tea for Two (it swings), and some for Benny Carter on Body and Soul, although you hear some of Nat's patented chords on Body and Soul. Nat doesn't solo but plays much more behind Charlie Parker on Cherokee, Nat's playing is very intense and fast with a great push from Buddy Rich on drums. Grover Sales in the book Jazz: America's Classical Music says:

 

As you can tell, I really like the period photographs. Here is Willie Smith photographed at the Jazz At The Philharmonic, Benny Carter in 1946, and an early shot of Charlie Parker.

 

Finally got around to playing the orange-vinyl "Songs From Cat Ballou...," and the sound quality is pretty wretched. Sure is a nice looking disc, though!

Here's another odd Cole disc: A promo 45 with the wording "A Nat Cole Favorite" at the top of each side.

 

Stardust - The Complete Capitol Recordings Album DISC 9:
1. Ain't Gonna Study War No More
2. Everytime I Feel the Spirit
3. Standin' in the Need of Prayer
4. Go Down, Moses
5. Steal Away
6. I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray
7. I Want to Be Ready
8. Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen
9. In the Sweet by and By
10. Sweet Hour of Prayer
11. Oh Mary, Don't You Weep
12. I Found the Answer
13. Best Thing For You Would Be Me, The
14. Dedicated to You
15. (I Would Do) Anything For You
16. This Is Always
17. I Had the Craziest Dream
18. I Wish I Knew
19. Be Still My Heart
20. As Far as I'm Concerned
21. Lorelei
22. This Holy Love
23. Peace of Mind
24. You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)
25. Tell Me All About Yourself
26. When You Walked By
27. You've Got the Indian Sign on Me
28. My Life
29. If You Said No
30. That's You
31. Something Happens to Me
32. Sweethearts on Parade
33. When You Belong to Me


Hey everyone. I'm sitting by a fire as the snow is getting ready to fall in Louisville, KY. The disc above is playing on my very modest stereo. Somehow I've neglected this disc and some of the songs seem new to me. The middle songs are wonderful stuff. Maybe I heard them once when I first bought this set, but after that not. I know I'm skipping ahead, but we've always said we can do that if we feel like it.

I like the album every time I feel the spirit better than some others here, but even I think it's a lesser effort. My favorite song by far is the moody Go Down Moses. That is a song that can move you a bit. It reminded me of a great book I read as an undergrad in the mid 80s, called Exodus and Revolution by Michael Walzer. I can't easily summarize it myself, so I'm copying in a review from amazon.com:

"Too much scholarship went into this short treatise to call it a meditation, but that's what it is anyway. The author of Just and Unjust Wars, Spheres of Justice, and numerous political essays reflects on the political meaning of the Exodus story, as well as on the use to which it has been put since the Puritan Revolution of the 17th-century. Walzer (professor of social science at the Institute for Advanced Study) concludes that there are two basic interpretations of the story of the Israelites. One, which he calls Exodus politics, is grounded in a specific set of circumstances of oppression and corruption (i.e., Egypt, where the bondage of the Israelites was coupled with a revulsion against and longing for the luxury of their oppressors). Exodus politics is about the journey from Egypt to Canaan, a journey in which Moses plays the role of guide and teacher, forming the Israelites into a new people fit for the Promised Land. The Promised Land is itself about the transformation of Canaan into Israel - that is, the disappointment of reaching the goal only to discover that the journey is not over. This is a kind of social democratic politics, says Walzer, whose mode is education, realism, and moderation, and it is the interpretation and the politics that defines his position. The other dominant strain he calls messianic politics, and here the story is universalized: rather than Egypt, the deliverance is seen as being from oppression tout court, and the goal of the Promised Land takes on an immediacy and joy in the Final Days. This latter is the politics of some radical groups of the left (in Leninism, Moses and the Levites take on the guise of a vanguard party, an interpretation rendered by Lincoln Steffens, among others), as well as of the messianic right in Israel today. Walzer's method is to proceed through the stages of the story, offering alternative interpretations and political glosses as he goes. The trip is well worth taking, even more for the ease with which he handles the biblical interpretation, and the richness the story acquires, than for the relevance of the story to political theory. All in all: satisfying and exciting at once. (Kirkus Reviews)"

May seem off topic, but it's part of what I think of when I hear that song.

The other songs on the middle of disc 9 are wonderful, classic NKC, imho, such as
14. Dedicated to You
15. (I Would Do) Anything For You
16. This Is Always
17. I Had the Craziest Dream
18. I Wish I Knew
19. Be Still My Heart
20. As Far as I'm Concerned

Gotta run....