Cole's final album is a fitting epitaph to an incomparable c
Greg Van Beek | West Bend, Wisconsin | 02/14/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Nat King Cole recorded the hit title song for this album in June of 1964. Following its success on radio and as a 45rpm single, Capitol decided to frame an album around it. The remaining tracks (save for the final 5 cuts on this CD, which are bonus tracks) were recorded in San Francisco, where Cole was performing a two-week engagement at the Circle Star Theater, on December 1, 2, & 3, with an orchestra under the direction of Ralph Carmichael.
It was on December 1st, 1964, just prior to the first session, that Nat King Cole was diagnosed with lung cancer.
Ignoring the Hotel Fairmont house doctor's order to cancel all further plans and return home to his own personal physician at once, Cole, perhaps sensing this may turn out to be his final recording session, decided to gather what remaining strength he had to complete the album. But he was not his usual relaxed self during these sessions, as he tried desperately to suppress his now almost constant cough. Surviving photographs show a shockingly thin, grim-faced Cole in the studio.
But despite the gravity of his health situation, he was in remarkably good voice, and responded well to Carmichael's lush / brassy arrangements on songs like "More", "The Girl From Ipanema", and "My Kind of Girl", the latter allowing Nat Cole to revisit his jazz roots one final time. Perhaps the most swinging cut of all is "Swiss Retreat", with Cole's deep, rich baritone gliding along effortlessly over Bobby Bryant's trumpet. An early thirties Guy Lombardo hit, "Coquette", is given a definitive reading as well.
The bonus cuts Collector's Choice generously included on this CD reissue are gems to be savored. "Marnie", the theme-song of the Alfred Hitchcock movie of the same title starring Sean Connery, was given the lush, romantic treatment a ballad of this nature deserved. "My True Carrie, Love" was a mild hit as a single and on radio in the early part of 1964. Cole also featured it as his opening number on what turned out to be his last TV appearance, as host of the ABC variety series "The Hollywood Palace", in March of 1964. "Silver Bird" is unusual in both lyric and arrangement, but nonetheless stays with you from the first time you hear it.
Bottom line, from a collector's stand-point, this is a must have album, even if only for the obvious reason of it being NKC's final record (save for a 45 rpm single that was recorded during the last session and released only in the UK at the time). From a music stand-point, while there are certainly better Nat King Cole albums, L-O-V-E is still an exceptional effort throughout. A tribute to the determination of a man with the knowledge his life was slipping away, and evocative of the multi-talents of this musical genius who was known as a "king" among his peers, and not just by surname.
As a post-script, Nat performed his final concert at the Circle Star Theater on December 6, returned home to Hancock Park, and entered St. John's hospital in Santa Monica on December 7th, where he would remain, save for a brief New Years Eve trip home, until he tragically lost his life to the lung cancer on February 15, 1965, at the youthful age of 45. This album was released just prior to his passing, in January of 1965."
My favorite old male singer
Ms. Dorothy M. Seim | Baltimore, MD USA | 04/18/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I still enjoy the restful style of Nat King Cole. This was is just that."
