"Nat King Cole broke the pop barrier with his smoky, smooth vocals,
stringing along a huge number of solid hits right after his first,
“Straighten Up and Fly Right,” soared up the charts in 1943. As a
singer, he was called “the best friend a song ever had,” but he was
essentially a jazz performer at heart. Even those later tracks crafted
for the pop charts belie a piano technique, vocal phrasings, and
on-the-mark orchestration that are indebted to his early roots in jazz.
"Jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis and guitarist John Pizzarelli crafted a tribute to the titan of ‘50s vocal pop, from his hits along with those singular tracks of sophisticated cool jazz that have influenced their own careers. The selections include “Silent Night,” “Hark the Herald Angels,” “O Come All Ye Faithful” and songs from the Nat King Cole Christmas album, along with “Route 66,” “Hit That Jive Jack,” “Unforgettable” and more. "
"Jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis and guitarist John Pizzarelli crafted a tribute to the titan of ‘50s vocal pop, from his hits along with those singular tracks of sophisticated cool jazz that have influenced their own careers. The selections include “Silent Night,” “Hark the Herald Angels,” “O Come All Ye Faithful” and songs from the Nat King Cole Christmas album, along with “Route 66,” “Hit That Jive Jack,” “Unforgettable” and more. "
Sources:
- https://www.bergenpac.org/events/detail/straighten-up-and-fly-right-for-the-holidays-the-nat-king-cole-tribute
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwacxSnc4tI