Nat King Cole Trio

Jazz and pop vocalist and pianist Nat King Cole was born Nathaniel Coles on March 17, 1919, in Montgomery, Alabama. With his soft, velvety smooth voice and profound elegance and dignity, he stands as a legendary figure in American music. Best-known as a vocalist on hits such as “Mona Lisa”, “Unforgettable”, “When I Fall in Love”, and “The Christmas Song”, his career began as a jazz pianist. While still in his teens, Nat King Cole dropped out of high school and began performing as a pianist in Chicago clubs with his brother Eddie’s sextette, Eddie Cole’s Solid Swingers. After making their first recordings for Decca Records, the group toured in the musical Shuffle Along. When the tour ended in 1937 in Los Angeles, California, Nat King Cole decided to move there and pursue a career in music. Encouraged by a club owner, he formed the King Cole Swingsters with Wesley Prince (bass) and Oscar Moore (guitar). Breaking the popular big band mold, the drummer-less line-up was unique amongst the swing and jazz bands. The group soon changed their name to the King Cole Trio and began their recording career, cutting sides for independent labels and taping radio transcriptions. As the group’s pianist, Nat King Cole was encouraged to sing during his live sets, which would lead him in a different direction shortly thereafter. The King Cole Trio’s first hit was 1940’s “Sweet Lorraine”. Prince and Moore were eventually replaced by Johnny Miller (bass) and Irving Ashby (guitar) as the trio began recording for Decca Records and then Capitol Records. The line-up would change several times with Nat King Cole being the only constant member. The trio’s popularity began to soar in the ‘40s, leading Nat King Cole and his band to host King Cole Trio Time, a 15-minute radio program, in 1946. They began recording radio transcriptions and performing on various radio programs. Their signing to Capitol Records in 1944 raised their profile even more, leading to Nat King Cole’s subsequent Pop solo career. The trio released a series of albums in the ‘40s including The King Cole Trio (1944) Volume 2 (1946), Volume 3 (1947), King Cole for Kids (1948), and Volume 4 (1949). Nat King Cole’s solo career took precedence in the 1950s and 1960s, although one of his biggest selling albums during that period was his trio’s 1956 album After Midnight, the last collection of new recordings credited to the group. Nat King Cole died of lung cancer at the age of 45 on February 15, 1965.