Personnel: Nat "King" Cole (piano, vocals); Oscar Moore (guitar); Johnny Miller (bass).
Producers: Jim Conkling, Paul Weston, Walter Rivers, Carl Kress.
Compilation producer: Michael Cuscuna.
Engineers include: John Palladino.
Recorded at C.P. MacGregor Studios and Radio Recorders, Los Angeles, California; WMCA and Pathe Studios, New York, New York.
Nat "King" Cole was one of the most romantic singers of all time. He was also one of the finest jazz pianists of his generation. The music presented on this best-of collection highlights this legendary performer's singing, but along the way, listeners will also hear the sensitivity and warmth of Cole's piano playing. Among the many beautiful tunes included in this collection, "Sweet Lorraine" stands out as one of the most charming. Cole swings ever so lightly on this number and his piano accompaniment is filled with tasty blues licks and harmonically rich chord voicings.
"(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons" may be the most rapturous piece on THE BEST OF NAT KING COLE TRIO. One would be hard pressed to find a ballad more romantic, especially in the hands of Cole. On this selection, Cole's voice is relaxed, legato, and whispery, and he uses the perfect hint of vibrato at the end of each phrase. This compilation captures the intimacy of Cole's voice without falling back on the big production numbers for which he Cole is most often remembered.