Nat King Cole s Vocal Style - 1434 Words

Today, 66 years after the peak of his career, Nat King Cole remains to be a household name. Most anyone you ask will recognize his iconic baritone vocals. Although he is best known for his vocal style, Cole was also an extremely talented piano player. Along with his elegant presence, Cole was able to break the strong barriers of racism in the 1960s, leaving a legacy for artists behind him. Cole was raised in an extremely religious household outside of Chicago. His mother was the choir director of the church, and his father a Pastor. Cole began learning piano around age four, which would lead to him dropping out of school at 15 to pursue a career in music. Cole’s first band was called the Royal Dukes. In 1936, he left home at age 17 to perform with the national tour of Shuffle Along. Cole’s piano technique was greatly influenced by Earl Hines. Cole himself once said that he â€Å"owed everything to that man† (â€Å"Nat King Cole- Jazz Pianist†). Over the years Cole developed his own piano style, he became known for its syncopated left hand, and his ability to quickly move from octave to octave. Cole also had an ability to play with a more freedom, as he often played without a drummer. This allowed him to create his own personal style, known for its modern rhythms (‘Nat King Cole: The Pianist†). Cole’s stage presence was said to be extremely strong, facing the audience as he played. In 1937, Cole formed the King Cole Trio, consisting of himself on the piano, Oscar Moore on theShow MoreRelatedMixtape Project2186 Words   |  9 PagesGolly Miss Molly by Little Richard Unforgettable by Nat King Cole Miserlou by Dick Dale amp; the Del Tones Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley amp; the Comets Surfin’ USA by Beach Boys Maybellene by Chuck Berry The Times They Are A-Changin by Bob Dylan Robert Johnson’s â€Å"Cross Road Blues† (Crossroads) released in 1937. 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The song was titled Baby, Let Me Hold Your Hand. When Charles first began singing many felt as though his sound and piano playing resembled those of Nat King Cole and Charles Brown. Ray was quoted saying, When I started to sing like myself - as opposed to imitating Nat Cole, which I had done for a while Ââ€" when I started singing like Ray Charles, it had this spiritual and churchy, this religious or gospel sound. It had this holiness and preachy tone to it. Read MoreEssay about Ray Charles2718 Words   |  11 Pagesachieved his first hit song in 1951. The song was titled â€Å"Baby, Let Me Hold Your Hand.† When Charles first began singing many felt as though his sound and piano playing resembled those of Nat King Cole and Charles Brown. Ray was quoted saying, â€Å"When I started to sing like myself - as opposed to imitating Nat Cole, which I had done for a while – when I started singing like Ray Charles, it had this spiritual and churchy, this religious or gospel sound. 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Maybe, without the giveaway of a certain style of clothes it is hard to tell. One of the men reaches for his guitar. What genre do you expect now? Funk? Reggae? For very few people rock music would come to mind. Indeed their guess would be pretty much anything but rock. In this paper I intend