Nat King Cole ~ Lush Life

This CD includes recordings that Cole made between 1949 and 1952 with arranger Pete Rugolo, a crucial time in Cole's career when he was breaking away from his jazz trio and emphasizing his singing, both on popular ballads and novelty tunes. During the period, Cole formed a close relationship with Rugolo, who was best known for his innovative work with Stan Kenton's orchestra. While never as commercially successful as Cole's collaborations with Nelson Riddle, their work represented a remarkable association between a great singer and a visionary orchestrator, with Rugolo emphasizing surprising contrasts in voicings and rich harmonies. The material ranges from Cole's bantering songs with his wife Maria, like "Hey, Not Now! (I'll Tell You When)" to a sonorous version of Alec Wilder's "Summer Is A Comin' In," and it's all imbued with the unmistakable Cole voice in its prime. The centerpiece, though, is "Lush Life," a superb rendition of Billy Strayhorn's languid hymn to wearied sophistication, with Rugolo adding Latin percussion and impressionistic textures to highlight the presence of Cole's rich baritone

tracks
01. Lush Life
02. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
03. Hey, Not Now! (I'll Tell You When)
04. I'll Always Remember You
05. Where Were You?
06. Tunnel Of Love
07. It's Crazy
08. Funny (Not Much)
09. That's My Girl
10. Roses And Wine
11. It's A Man Every Time
12. Time Out For Tears
13. Get To Gettin'
14. It Was So Good While It Lasted
15. The Way I'm Loving You
16. Ev'ry Day
17. Wish I Were Somebody Else
18. Home (When Shadows Fall)
19. You Can't Make Me Love You
20. Red Sails In The Sunset
21. Get Out And Get Under The Moon
22. My Brother
23. Land Of Love (Come My Love And Live With Me)
24. Poor Jenny Is A-Weepin'
25. Summer Is A Comin' In