Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Geoffrey Smith celebrates the centenary today of Nat "King" Cole, the iconic pop vocalist who was also a brilliant jazz pianist. Geoffrey Smith surveys his keyboard hits, which inspired the likes of Oscar Peterson and Diana Krall.

1 hour

Last on

Sun 17 Mar 201900:00
BBC Radio 3

More episodes

Previous

Shakespeare

Next

Thad Jones and Mel Lewis

See all episodes from Geoffrey Smith's Jazz

Music Played

  • Nat King Cole & Nat King Cole

    Honey Hush

    • The Quintessence.
    • Fremeaux.
    • 2.

  • Nat King Cole & Nat King Cole

    Jack The Bellboy

    • The Quintessence.
    • Fremeaux.
    • 3.

  • Nat King Cole & Nat King Cole

    Sweet Lorraine

    • The Quintessence.
    • Fremeaux.
    • 1.

  • Nat King Cole & Nat King Cole

    Honeysuckle Rose

    • The Quintessence.
    • Fremeaux.
    • 8.

  • Nat King Cole & Nat King Cole

    Early Morning Blues

    • The Quintessence.
    • Fremeaux.
    • 12.

  • Lester Young

    Indiana

    • The Super Sessions.
    • LE JAZZ.
    • 1.

  • Nat King Cole & Nat King Cole

    Straighten Up And Fly Right

    • The Quintessence.
    • Fremeaux.
    • 1.

  • Nat King Cole & Nat King Cole

    Jumpin' At Capitol

    • The Quintessence.
    • Fremeaux.
    • 6.

  • Nat King Cole & Nat King Cole

    Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You

    • The Quintessence.
    • Fremeaux.
    • 7.

  • Nat King Cole & Nat King Cole

    What Is This Thing Called Love?

    • The Quintessence.
    • Fremeaux.
    • 15.

  • Nat King Cole & Nat King Cole

    Easy Listening Blues

    • The Quintessence.
    • Fremeaux.
    • 16.

  • Lester Young, Lester Young, Count Basie, Freddie Green, Rodney Richardson & Shadow Wilson

    I've Found A New Baby

    • Lester Leaps Again.
    • Proper.
    • 20.

  • Nat King Cole & Nat King Cole

    I Know That You Know

    • AFTER MIDNIGHT SESSIONS.
    • CAPITOL.
    • 9.

  • Jazz at the Philharmonic All-Stars

    Blues

    • La Grande du Histoire du Jazz.
    • Le Jazz.
    • 10.

Nat King Cole

TITLE HONEY HUSH

Artists: Eddie Cole’s Solid Swingers

Composers: Nat King Cole

Album Title: The Quintessence

Label: Fremeaux: FA208

Performers: Nat King Cole (piano); Eddie Cole (vocal & bass); Eddie Cole’s Solid Swingers

TITLE JACK THE BELLBOY

Artists: Nat King Cole Trio

Composers: Lionel Hampton

Album Title: The Quintessence

Label: Fremeaux: FA208

Performers: Nat King Cole (piano); Oscar Moore (guitar); Wesley Prince (bass); Lionel Hampton (drums)

TITLE SWEET LORRAINE

Artists: Nat King Cole Trio

Composers: Mitchell Parish / Cliff Burwell

Album Title: The Quintessence

Label: Fremeaux: FA208

Performers: Nat King Cole (piano); Oscar Moore (guitar); Wesley Prince (bass)

TITLE HONEYSUCKLE ROSE

Artists: Nat King Cole Quartet

Composers: Fats Waller

Album Title: The Quintessence

Label: Fremeaux: FA208

Performers: Nat King Cole (piano); Oscar Moore (guitar); Johnny Moore (guitar); Wesley Prince (bass)

TITLE EARLY MORNING BLUES

Artists: Nat King Cole Trio

Composers: Nat King Cole

Album Title: The Quintessence

Label: Fremeaux: FA208

Performers: Nat King Cole (piano); Oscar Moore (guitar); Wesley Prince (bass)

TITLE INDIANA

Artists: Lester Young & Nat King Cole

Composers: James F. Hanley / Ballard MacDonald

Album Title: The Super Sessions

Label: LE JAZZ CD36

Performers: Lester Young (tenor sax); Nat King Cole (piano); Red Callendar (bass)

TITLE STRAIGHTEN UP AND FLY RIGHT

Artists: Nat King Cole Trio

Composers: Irving Mills / Nat King Cole

Album Title: The Quintessence

Label: Fremeaux: FA208

Performers: Nat King Cole (piano); Oscar Moore (guitar); Wesley Prince (bass)

TITLE JUMPIN’ AT CAPITOL

Artists: Nat King Cole Trio

Composers: Nadine Robinson

Album Title: The Quintessence

Label: Fremeaux: FA208

Performers: Nat King Cole (piano); Oscar Moore (guitar); Johnny Miller (bass)

TITLE GEE BABY, AIN’T I GOOD TO YOU

Artists: Nat King Cole Trio

Composers: Don Redman / Andy Razaf

Album Title: The Quintessence

Label: Fremeaux: FA208

Performers: Nat King Cole (piano); Oscar Moore (guitar); Wesley Prince (bass)

TITLE WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED LOVE

Artists: Nat King Cole Trio

Composers: Cole Porter

Album Title: The Quintessence

Label: Fremeaux: FA208

Performers: Nat King Cole (piano); Oscar Moore (guitar); Johnny Miller (bass)

TITLE EASY LISTENING BLUES

Artists: Nat King Cole Trio

Composers: Nadine Robinson

Album Title: The Quintessence

Label: Fremeaux: FA208

Performers: Nat King Cole (piano); Oscar Moore (guitar); Johnny Miller (bass)

TITLE I’VE FOUND A NEW BABY

Artists: Nat King Cole/Lester Young /Buddy Rich

Composers: Spencer Williams / Jack Palmer

Album Title: Lester Leaps Again

Label: Proper: P-1131

Performers: Nat King Cole (piano); Lester Young (tenor sax); Buddy Rich (drums)

TITLE I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW

Artists: Nat King Cole Trio

Composers: Anne Caldwell / Vincent Youmans

Album Title: After Midnight

Label: CAPITOL: EMS-1103

Performers: Nat King Cole (piano); Stuff Smith (violin)

TITLE BLUES

Artists: Jazz At The Philharmonic

Composers: Etaoin

Album Title: The Beginning

Label: Le Jazz: CD-41

Performers: Nat King Cole (piano); Les Paul (guitar)

Broadcasts

  • Sun 1 May 201600:00
    BBC Radio 3
  • Sun 17 Mar 201900:00
    BBC Radio 3

Featured in...

Podcast

  • Geoffrey Smith's Jazz

    Geoffrey Smith's Jazz - a weekly sequence exploring what makes great jazz great music