Hacker News Reader

Comment by Aloha | Hacker News Reader

Two musicians of this era I do love are Louis Armstrong and Nat Cole - both virtuosos in their own right. Everyone I think knows how important Armstrong is - Nat Cole kinda gets a short shrift - he was probably the best jazz pianist of his generation, but is remembered today for his vocals (which are good in their own right) - but not where he sparkled -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RcoUfSAUWs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbwPKIPVcPw

Nat Cole died at only 45(!), his brothers each lived another 30-40 years - I wonder what we would have gotten from him had he not died so young. He had many of the same political issues Louis Armstrong did, was seen as an appeaser on racial issues.

View on HN

Then you get to me going "Who the fuck is Nat Cole?" only to realize you meant Nat King Cole. Now I know exactly who it is.

Nat just had such a distinctive and beautiful voice, it's so warm. I love his recording of "Almost Like Being In Love," which plays at the end of Groundhog Day. If you listen to another version, like for example Sinatra's... it's just not the same! Ella's is pretty nice though.

Part of how he got that sound was hotboxing several cigarettes in a row before going into record - the the depth, harmonics and warmth of his voice is in part from smoking.

You can really hear the difference between say his late 40's recordings and his late 50's ones.

As a note, he was killed by Lung Cancer...

I've heard and read of several vocalists whose sounds were credited (by them or others) to smoking. I think those effects vary quite a bit between singers.

For me, anything I smoked always affected my singing worse overall in the long run. I may have gotten a temporary effect I liked, but it reduced the total amount of time I could sing without losing strength in at least part of my range.

I almost feel worse for those it doesn't affect so badly, because it was a key reason I decided to quit.

Don Williams was one who was 100% shaped by smoking, but it made his voice rich and full, and enhanced the harmonics and depth of it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Williams

You can see the difference of the progression of time here.

~1975 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzGx_XzxDeM 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyoAoXB_xUU

He also carries the soundtrack for the semi musical western Cat Ballou, released the year he died (1965), and, to me, without his role the movie doesn't win any awards.

Ugh! That may be the most desperately stupid movie I've ever seen.

Ray Charles often said that Nat Cole was his biggest influence -- even though Charles' own repertoire and vocal style do not resemble Cole's.

Ray Charles Inducts Nat "King" Cole at the 2000 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyIYD294AQE

Eubie Blake had a good run. Broadway musicals, record contracts, "I wrote this in 1899; I'm gonna play it for you in 1974." #CharlestonRag

The first time I heard Nat King Cole was in Fallout 4's Diamond City Radio, from the famous song Orange Coloured Sky.

But for me, it is Louis Armstrong and Nina Simone that titillate. Music that resonates with the spine. No disrespect for Nat King Cole.

Such an underrated pianist!

Reply on news.ycombinator.com