On The Bookshelf
Unforgettable: The Life And Mystique Of Nat King Cole | Leslie Gourse
Very few may know that Nat King Cole, born March 17, 1919 in Montgomery, Alabama began his musical career as a groundbreaking jazz pianist. His trio was untraditional with an upright bass and guitar. This was long before he ever achieved stardom with his velvety-smooth vocals on songs like Nature Boy, L-O-V-E, and of course, Unforgettable.
Leslie Gourse’s claim that his keyboard style prefigured bebop and influenced pianist Ahmad Jamal is debatable. However, Gourse does a fine job of documenting the influence of Cole’s second wife, Maria Ellington, who urged him to pursue a more lucrative singing career. Although he did not win the favor of 1950s radical Negro activists, Cole’s personal, backstage struggle against Jim Crow segregation in the entertainment industry were significant.
This is a biography which should appeal to those who have a desire for knowledge and an appreciation for a singer’s inimitable style.
