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The Resource Straighten up and fly right : the life and music of Nat King Cole, Will Friedwald

Straighten up and fly right : the life and music of Nat King Cole, Will Friedwald

Creator
Summary
"One of the most popular and memorable American musicians of the 20th century, Nat King Cole (1919-65) is remembered today as both a pianist and a singer, a feat rarely accomplished in the world of popular music. Now, in this complete life and times biography, author Will Friedwald offers a new take on this fascinating musician, framing him first as a bandleader and then as a star. In Cole's early phase, Friedwald explains, his primary task of keeping his trio going was just as much of a focus for him as his own playing and singing, always a collective or group performance. In the second act, Cole's collaborators were more likely to be arranger-conductors like Nelson Riddle and Gordon Jenkins, rather than his sidemen on bass and guitar. In the first act, his sidemen were equals, in the second phase, his collaborators were tasked exclusively with putting the focus on him, making him sound good, while being largely invisible themselves. Friedwald brings his full musical knowledge to bear in putting the man in the work, demonstrating how this duality appears over and over again in Cole's life and career: jazz vs. pop, solo vs. trio, piano vs. voice, wife number one (Nadine) vs. wife number two (Maria), the good songs vs. the less-than-good songs, the rhythm numbers vs. the ballads, the funny songs and novelties vs. the "serious" songs of love and loss, Cole as an advocate for the Great American Songbook vs. Cole the intrepid explorer of other options: world music, rhythm & blues, country & western. Cole was different from his contemporaries in other ways; for roughly ten years after the war, the majority of hitmakers on the pop charts were veterans of the big band experience, from Sinatra on down"--Provided by publisher
Language
eng
Work
Publication
Extent
xv, 633 pages
Isbn
9780190882044
Instance
Label
Straighten up and fly right : the life and music of Nat King Cole
Title
Straighten up and fly right
Title remainder
the life and music of Nat King Cole
Statement of responsibility
Will Friedwald
Creator
Subject
Genre
Language
eng
Summary
"One of the most popular and memorable American musicians of the 20th century, Nat King Cole (1919-65) is remembered today as both a pianist and a singer, a feat rarely accomplished in the world of popular music. Now, in this complete life and times biography, author Will Friedwald offers a new take on this fascinating musician, framing him first as a bandleader and then as a star. In Cole's early phase, Friedwald explains, his primary task of keeping his trio going was just as much of a focus for him as his own playing and singing, always a collective or group performance. In the second act, Cole's collaborators were more likely to be arranger-conductors like Nelson Riddle and Gordon Jenkins, rather than his sidemen on bass and guitar. In the first act, his sidemen were equals, in the second phase, his collaborators were tasked exclusively with putting the focus on him, making him sound good, while being largely invisible themselves. Friedwald brings his full musical knowledge to bear in putting the man in the work, demonstrating how this duality appears over and over again in Cole's life and career: jazz vs. pop, solo vs. trio, piano vs. voice, wife number one (Nadine) vs. wife number two (Maria), the good songs vs. the less-than-good songs, the rhythm numbers vs. the ballads, the funny songs and novelties vs. the "serious" songs of love and loss, Cole as an advocate for the Great American Songbook vs. Cole the intrepid explorer of other options: world music, rhythm & blues, country & western. Cole was different from his contemporaries in other ways; for roughly ten years after the war, the majority of hitmakers on the pop charts were veterans of the big band experience, from Sinatra on down"--Provided by publisher
Member of
Biography type
individual biography
Cataloging source
DLC
http://library.link/vocab/creatorDate
1961-
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Friedwald, Will
Dewey number
  • 782.42164092
  • B
Illustrations
illustrations
Index
index present
LC call number
ML420.C63
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
bibliography
Series statement
Oxford cultural biographies
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • Cole, Nat King
  • Singers
  • African American singers
  • Pianists
  • African American jazz musicians
  • Jazz musicians
Target audience
adult
Label
Straighten up and fly right : the life and music of Nat King Cole, Will Friedwald
Instantiates
Publication
Copyright
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Extent
xv, 633 pages
Immediate source of acquisition
LSC
Isbn
9780190882044
Lccn
2019049936
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Other physical details
illustrations
System control number
  • 2015756
  • 926196
Label
Straighten up and fly right : the life and music of Nat King Cole, Will Friedwald
Publication
Copyright
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Extent
xv, 633 pages
Immediate source of acquisition
LSC
Isbn
9780190882044
Lccn
2019049936
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Other physical details
illustrations
System control number
  • 2015756
  • 926196

Subject

Genre

Member of

Library Locations

    • St. Catharines Public LibraryBorrow it
      54 Church St., St. Catharines, Ontario, L2R7K2, CA
      43.1603307 -79.2460639

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