Nat King Cole Sings/George Shearing Plays – NAT KING COLE & GEORGE SHEARING*****

September Song/Pick Yourself Up/I Got It Bad(And That Ain’t Good)/Let There Be Love/Azure-Te/Lost April/A Beautiful Friendship/Fly Me To The Moon/Serenata/I’m Lost/There’s A Lull In My Life/Don’t Go

On this unique album Nat King Cole Sings/George Shearing Plays, the legendary Nat King Cole teams up with jazz pianist George Shearing and his quartet. (US:27 UK:8)

“This album represents one of those rare moments where all the stars were in alignment, although in this case not by chance. Take Nat King Cole's warm baritone, add George Shearing's jazzy yet subtle piano, and wrap them in the room filling sound of Ralph Carmichael's lush yet subtle string arrangements. Then take a dozen or so first-rate songs by the 20th century's greatest composers and record them in exquisite detail in one of the best studios in the world. Half a century later this album is as beautiful and relevant as ever. And it all looks so easy.”

“Easy listening doesn’t get much better or more enjoyable than this classic. Nat King Cole's effortless crooning over the George Shearing’s smooth backing complement each other perfectly. My favourite track is the great single Let There Be Love, but as both pairings were at the top of their game there are many highlights.”

“This is a great album. Nat's voice is an absolute perfect match for Shearing's trademark velvet carpet sound. The highlight is here is the classic, Serenata. Presented with Latin rhythms and smooth strings, great music doesn't get any better than this. This cut alone is practically worth the price of admission.”

“If you can only buy one Nat King Cole album, it should be this one. The arrangements are great. Shearing complements the singer superbly, and I've never heard Nat sound better. Every song is a gem.”

“For fans of Cole and/or Shearing, this is a must-have disc, a wonderful collaboration between two jazz titans. In fact, it's a shame singer Nat King Cole and pianist George Shearing didn't make more albums together.”

"All of the tracks are either slow and romantic or gently swinging. The arrangements are by Ralph Carmichael and Shearing. A lovely easy listening disc.”