1 | September Song (2000 Digital Remaster) |
2 | Pick Yourself Up (2000 Digital Remaster) |
3 | I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) (2000 Digital Remaster) |
4 | Let There Be Love (2000 Digital Remaster) |
5 | Azure-Te (2000 Digital Remaster) |
6 | Lost April (2000 Digital Remaster) |
7 | A Beautiful Friendship (2000 Digital Remaster) |
8 | Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words) (2000 Digital Remaster) |
9 | Serenata (2000 Digital Remaster) |
10 | I'm Lost (2000 Digital Remaster) |
11 | There's A Lull In My Life (2000 Digital Remaster) |
12 | Don't Go (2000 Digital Remaster) |
13 | Everything Happens To Me (2000 Digital Remaster) |
14 | The Game Of Love (2000 Digital Remaster) |
15 | Guess I'll Go Back Home (2000 Digital Remaster) |
It would be difficult to think of a more perfectly matched pair than this. Shearing and Cole had so much in common--both were brilliant pianists, both had combined good jazz with popular success. They were even born in the same year. Nat Cole's velvet voice sounds even better with the rhythmic spice of Shearing's quintet, plus strings and percussion. The numbers on this 1961 album are all superb examples of classic American song, by such composers as Ellington, Kern and Matt Dennis, and each one is given a fresh and original treatment by arranger Ralph Carmichael. One of the tracks, "Let There Be Love", went on to become a hit single. The overall impression is of emotional warmth beneath a cool and elegant surface. Not surprisingly, Shearing still cherishes this album as one of his favourites in a long career. All that plus three bonus tracks. Unmissable. --Dave Gelly