Today is Nat King Cole's birthday. He would have been 92. The pianist and singer was an inspiration to nearly all piano players coming up in the 1940s, and he was all class throughout his life. Cole made everything look easy, even appearing on television. One of his many gifts was the ability to come through the TV camera and into viewers' hearts.
Here's Cole singing Let There Be Love...
Here's Cole with Mel Torme and June Christy on How High the Moon...
And here's Cole with the Oscar Peterson Trio playing Tenderly...
This story appears courtesy of JazzWax by Marc Myers.
Copyright © 2026. All rights reserved.
