What a box, what a music, limited and no reserve, you will receive the items in the picture, a fantastic set Hard on the heels of the excellent Hittin’ The Ramp 1936-43 set on Resonance comes this exemplary package collating all Nat Cole’s sessions with Nelson Riddle (and a final session with Ralph Carmichael at which Cole remade some of the early Riddle arrangements in stereo). It charts their progress during a decade in the public eye, starting with the very first collaboration at which (for Les Baxter’s orchestra) they produced ‘Mona Lisa’, which spent five weeks as the number one single on the 1950 Billboard charts. Just as with Riddle’s work for Ella Fitzgerald, the accompanying orchestras range from sweeping symphonic strings to a hard-hitting big band. Cole the pianist by this time had taken second place to Cole the popular vocalist, so with the exception of the fourth CD, which is built round the Piano Style of Nat King Cole album, there’s little of Cole’s exemplary jazz playing on show. Even when he does sit at the piano, it’s only on a feature such as ‘Tea For Two’ where his two-handed harmonic invention is on show, and even there once he heads into the swing section he tends to play single note lines, rather than the more virtuosic playing of the earlier trios. So, for fans of Cole the vocalist this set is an essential document that would probably rate a full five stars. For those who value his credentials as a jazz musician, there’s a little less on offer, although most of the original albums had at least one track where the string section went off for a cup of tea, leaving Cole with big band accompaniment. His vocals all have that gorgeous raspy yet talcum-powder smooth timbre, and as the recording quality gradually improved during the decade we hear him sounding better and better. Students of arranging will be fascinated by Riddle’s choice of instrumentation, and the way he uses trombones and French horns at the expense of trumpets and sometimes reeds is a study in itself. Nat King Cole – The Complete Nelson Riddle Studio Sessions Label: Music Milestones – 983200 Format: 8 x CD, Compilation, Remastered, Stereo, Mono Country: Europe Released: 2017 1-1 Always You 1-2 The Magic Tree 1-3 Mona Lisa 1-4 Early American 1-5 Too Young 1-6 Because Of Rain 1-7 Unforgettable 1-8 My First And My Last Love 1-9 Lovelight 1-10 You Will Never Grow Old 1-11 Easter Sunday Morning 1-12 You Weren't There 1-13 Somewhere Along The Way 1-14 Don't Let Your Eyes Go Shopping 1-15 Strange 1-16 How (How Do I Go About It? 1-17 Sweet William (And The Lily Of T 1-18 Because You're Mine 1-19 Sleeping Beauty 1-20 I'm Never Satisfied 1-21 My Flaming Heart 1-22 Faith Can Move Mountains 1-23 Too Soon 1-24 Small Towns Are Smile Towns 1-25 Mother Nature And Father Time 1-26 Pretend 2-1 When I'm Alone 2-2 A Fool Was I 2-3 The Magic Window 2-4 That's All 2-5 Annabelle 2-6 If Love Is Good To Me 2-7 Blue Gardenia 2-8 Love Is Here To Stay 2-9 A Handful Of Stars 2-10 A Little Street Where Old Friends Meet 2-11 There Goes My Heart 2-12 Dinner For One, Please James 2-13 Tenderly 2-14 Almost Like Being In Love 2-15 This Can't Be Love 2-16 Don't Hurt The Girl 2-17 Return To Paradise 2-18 Make Her Mine 2-19 Why Can't We Try Again 2-20 I Am In Love 2-21 The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot 2-22 You're Wrong, All Wrong 2-23 Mrs. Santa Claus 2-24 Why 2-25 Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup 2-26 Little Fingers 3-1 For A Moment Of Your Love 3-2 I Envy 3-3 Sleeping Beauty 3-4 The Christmas Song 3-5 Answer Me, My Love 3-6 What To Do 3-7 Ain't She Sweet 3-8 Alone Too Long 3-9 It Happens To Be Me 3-10 Unbelievable 3-11 Marilyn 3-12 Hajji Baba 3-13 Smile 3-14 I'll Always Be Remembering 3-15 My One Sin 3-16 I'll Never Settle For Less 3-17 United 3-18 If I Give My Heart To You 3-19 Hold My Hand 3-20 The Sand And The Sea 3-21 A Blossom Fell 3-22 Forgive My Heart 3-23 I'm Gonna Laugh You Right Out Of My Life 3-24 If I May 3-25 I'd Rather Have The Blues 4-1 I Hear Music 4-2 My Heart Stood Still 4-3 I Never Knew 4-4 Tea For Two 4-5 Nothing Ever Changes My Love For You 4-6 Breezin' Along With The Breeze 4-7 Someone You Love 4-8 After I Say I'm Sorry 4-9 Taking A Chance On Love 4-10 Imagination 4-11 April In Paris 4-12 Love Walked In 4-13 I See Your Face Before Me 4-14 Stella By Starlight 4-15 I Didn't Know What Time It Was 4-16 If I Could Be With You 4-17 Autumn Leaves 4-18 I Get A Kick Out Of You 4-19 There Will Never Be Another You 4-20 My Dream Sonata 4-21 Let's Fall In Love 4-22 Love Is A Many - Splendored Thing 4-23 Ask Me 4-24 Just One Of Those Things 4-25 I Want To Be Happy 4-26 You Are My Sunshine 4-27 Up Pops Love 5-1 Toyland 5-2 Love Me As Though There Were No Tomorrow 5-3 Too Young To Go Steady 5-4 Dreams Can Tell A Lie 5-5 Back In My Arms 5-6 Mr. Juke Box 5-7 Dame Crazy 5-8 I Just Found Out About Love 5-9 I Got Love 5-10 My Personal Possession 5-11 Stay 5-12 Believe 5-13 That's All There Is To That 5-14 Night Lights 5-15 The Shadows 5-16 To The Ends Of The Earth 5-17 I Promise You 5-18 The Way I Love You 5-19 Never Let Me Go 5-20 Unfair 5-21 Make Me 5-22 Sometimes I Wonder 5-23 Once Before 5-24 I'm Willing To Share This With You 5-25 I Need A Plan 5-26 The Story's Old 5-27 How Little We Know 5-28 Should I? 6-1 Ballerina 6-2 True Blue Lou 6-3 Like Someone In Love 6-4 I'm Shooting High 6-5 Tangerine 6-6 One Sun 6-7 You Are My First Love 6-8 When Rock And Roll Come To Trinidad 6-9 China Gate 6-10 There's A Gold Mine In The Sky 6-11 Around The World 6-12 An Affair To Remember 6-13 Fascination 6-14 How Did I Change 6-15 It's None Of My Affair 6-16 Angel Smile 6-17 Nothin' In The World 6-18 Toys For Tots 6-19 Overture 6-20 Harlem Blues 6-21 Chantez Les Bas 6-22 Friendless Blues 6-23 Stay 6-24 Joe Turner's Blues 6-25 Beale Street Blues 6-26 Careless Love 6-27 Morning Star 6-28 Memphis Blues 6-29 Yellow Dog Blues 6-30 St. Louis Blues 7-1 Too Much 7-2 Lovesville 7-3 Can't Help It 7-4 I Got Love 7-5 To Whom It May Concern 7-6 Love - Wise 7-7 In The Heart Of Jane Doe 7-8 My Heart's Treasure 7-9 You're Bringing Out The Dreamer In Me 7-10 Give Me Your Love 7-11 Coo Coo Roo Coo Coo Paloma 7-12 Non Dimenticar 7-13 Bend A Little My Way 7-14 This Morning It Was Summer 7-15 A Thousand Thoughts Of You 7-16 I Had The Craziest Dream 7-17 I Wish I Knew 7-18 Be Still My Heart 7-19 As Far As I'm Concerned 7-20 Lorelei 7-21 This Holy Love 7-22 Peace Of Mind 7-23 You Made Me Love You 7-24 If You Said No 7-25 That's You 8-1 Something Happens To Me 8-2 Sweethearts On Parade 8-3 When You Belong To Me 8-4 Unfair 8-5 You're My Thrill 8-6 Laughable 8-7 For The Want Of A Kiss 8-8 Again (Stereo Master) 8-9 Again (Mono Master) 8-10 I Must Be Dreaming 8-11 The Night Of The Quarter Moon 8-12 Wild Is Love - Introduction 8-13 Wild Is Love 8-14 Hundreds And Thousands Of Girls 8-15 It's A Beautiful Evening 8-16 Tell Her In The Morning 8-17 Are You Disenchanted? 8-18 Pick Up 8-19 Beggar For The Blues 8-20 World Of No Return 8-21 In Love Again 8-22 Stay With It 8-23 Wouldn't You Know 8-24 He Who Hesitates 8-25 Wild Is Love - Finale 8-26 My Heart Stood Still 8-27 Mona Lisa 8-28 The Christmas Song 8-29 Unforgettable 40-page booklet includes rare photos, credits and liner notes. 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