Legend has it a drunk jammed a paper hat on the pianist's head and said: ‘Look, King Cole!'
That was the day Nathaniel Adams Coles became Nat King Cole... minus the ‘s' – the jazz-popster whose chocolaty, satin smooth baritone voice would be acclaimed as ‘one of the greatest gifts of nature'. Think the laidback and mellow ‘Mona Lisa', ‘When I Fall In Love', and ‘Ramblin' Rose' – we all suffer stuck-song syndrome when it comes to a Nat King Cole tune.
Now the 16th Avenue Theatre is firing up the legend with a show called ‘Unforgettable' – a tribute to an unforgettable voice and unforgettable songs – which part of a massive line-up of performances in the Port of Tauranga 60th National Jazz Festival from April 1-10.
'It's the universal appeal of the man,” says Tauranga director Merv Beets. 'He's an icon.”
The show is a trove of 23 of Nat King Cole's most popular songs – ‘When a Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square', ‘L-O-V-E', and the eponymous ‘Unforgettable'. And more. The director promises a rollercoaster experience – highlights, mellow moments and more highlights. 'But the audience will leave smiling, singing and happy,” says Merv.
Life story
And woven through the songs is narration of the man's life story – a black man growing up in up in the USA's iniquitous Jim Crow segregation era. The Nat King Cole story is a sad and powerful indictment of racism in that country. He once did a gig in a famous USA hotel. They loved him. But he and his family weren't allowed to stay the night because he was black.
He sued the hotel. But that doesn't take away from the music and the voice of absolute purity and perfect pitch. 'We won't even be trying to replicate that voice,” says Merv.
'We are just delivering his songs, his music.”
‘We' being singers Michelle Coomb, Matilda Vahey-Bourne, Anna Sherrer and Barry Spedding. 'They're sounding simply fabulous as a group. Plus they all have their own individual style.”
Tauranga Big Band director Murray Mason leads a five-piece backing band of top local musicians.
'They're very cruisy,” says Merv. 'And Murray has done a wonderful job selecting songs to suit our voices. We have a great take on the songs.” Everyone and everything is coming together nicely.
During a short but spectacular career, Nat King Cole produced some of the USA's most popular music.
Like ‘When I Fall in Love' and ‘Route 66'.
He became a household name even in households that wouldn't have allowed him to step over the threshold simply because of his colour.
‘Sweet Loraine'
And we apparently only got to hear those sweet tones after a barfly ordered him to sing ‘Sweet Loraine'.
Cole, pianist for his own jazz trio, told the barfly 'we don't sing”. But when Cole learned the man was a big spender, the voice that would charm the world broken into song and was first heard publicly.
The concept for ‘Unforgettable' was put together by April Phillips – Wellington director, producer, actress, singer and film-maker. It's the fifth of her works that Merv has done. Bookings are going very well. 'You don't normally have this level of interest at this point.”
Perhaps it's a measure of the man and his music.
'Quite likely,” says Merv. 'But at this rate, some people might miss out!”
Nat King Cole's ‘mom' was his only music teacher. She had him playing ‘Yes, We Have No Bananas
Today' on the piano by age four.
Another story has it that when Nat King Cole bought into a high-end white neighbourhood, those same white neighbours told him they 'didn't want undesirable people moving in”. 'Neither do I,” replied Cole. 'And if I see any undesirables I will be first to report it.” Cole's pushing back against entrenched racism in private, on-stage, on radio and TV only added meaning and richness to his story.
Nat King Cole loved his cigarettes and his pipe.
He died from lung cancer in 1965, aged 45.
‘Unforgettable - the Nat King Cole Story' is at 16^th Ave Theatre from April 1 through to April 5. Tickets
at: 16thavetheatre.flicket.co.nz