walking upstream…
Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole started as one of jazz's most inventive pianists before his liquid, unhurried baritone made him one of the best-selling vocalists in American history. His trio format — piano, guitar, bass, no drums — became a jazz blueprint, while his phrasing turned pop standards into intimate, late-night conversations. He crossed over as a Black artist in a segregated industry with a sound so warm it became almost impossible to resist.
the sound in question
1951
UnforgettableNat King Cole
walk the tributaries ↓
Earl Hines1930s · Jazz
Cole snuck into Chicago clubs as a kid just to hear Earl Hines play, and Hines's darting, horn-like right hand became the foundation of Cole's own piano style.
listen: upstream & here
1928
A Monday DateEarl Hines
1940
Sweet LorraineNat King Cole
listen forPlay Earl Hines's 'A Monday Date' and then Nat King Cole's 'Sweet Lorraine' — listen for that same octave-doubled, trumpet-like right-hand phrasing, a technique Cole studied note for note before making it his own.
Louis Armstrong1920s–30s · Jazz
Cole grew up listening to Louis Armstrong from outside the clubs he was too young to enter, and that warm, rhythmically loose vocal phrasing worked its way into Cole's own singing.
listen: upstream & here
1928
West End BluesLouis Armstrong
1943
Straighten Up and Fly RightNat King Cole
listen forListen to Louis Armstrong's 'West End Blues' and then Nat King Cole's 'Straighten Up and Fly Right' — hear how both singers bend a phrase behind the beat, turning strict rhythm into something that breathes.
Jimmie Noone1920s · Jazz
The intimate small-group jazz sound of Jimmie Noone's Apex Club Orchestra, all interplay and no clutter, is the direct ancestor of Cole's own piano-guitar-bass trio format.
listen: upstream & here
1928
Apex BluesJimmie Noone
1944
Body and SoulNat King Cole
listen forPlay Jimmie Noone's 'Apex Blues' and then the King Cole Trio's 'Body and Soul' — listen for that same conversational, uncluttered small-group intimacy, just with piano now doing the talking instead of clarinet.