Freddy Cole
b. Frederick Coles, 15 October 1931, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Following in the footsteps of his musical brothers, most notably, Nat "King" Cole, he became a musician at a very early age, playing piano and singing professionally in Chicago clubs while still a teenager. Later, he studied at Juilliard College and at the New England Conservatory of Music, continuing to develop his technique and stagecraft at numerous clubs. In succeeding years Cole worked regularly in the USA, touring more as time passed and establishing a reputation as a good performer at the jazzier end of the pop music envelope. He had a minor hit with his second single, "Whispering Grass", released through OKeh Records in 1953. On record he is often accompanied by noted jazz musicians, among them Steve Turr‚, Houston Person and, perhaps surprisingly, fellow pianists such as Cyrus Chestnut and Larry Willis. It is largely the presence of musicians such as these that shifts consideration of Cole into a jazz context. Inevitably, Cole (who, like his brother, changed the spelling of the family name) is subjected to sibling comparisons. While he is undoubtedly a good pianist, in jazz terms he falls short of Nat Cole's astonishing abilities. As a singer, he sings with rhythmic assurance and sometimes displays a profound understanding of the lyrics of his material. Even so, like many pop singers, he is heavily dependent upon his material for impact and when he tackles quality songs he proves to be an attractive performer in the mould of the great supper club entertainers.
Listen to Freddy Cole
at Finetune.
Albums
- (2008) Music Maestro Please
- (2005) This Is The Life
- (2004) Waiter, Ask the Man to Play the Blues
Top Tracks
- Black Coffee
- I Loved You For A Minute
- Waiter, Ask The Man To Play The Blues
- Blues Before Sunrise
- I'm All Alone
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