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Straighten Up and Fly Right: Universal Creates Nat King Cole's "Musical Autobiography" On New Box Set

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Nat King Cole - Musical AutobiographyOver 50 years ago, on February 15, 1965, the world lost Nat "King" Cole at the age of 45.  But in a career sadly cut short by lung cancer, Cole left an indelible legacy in the worlds of jazz and popular vocals.  That immense legacy is being celebrated this fall by Universal Music with the  release tomorrow, October 9, of His Musical Autobiography, a 10-CD/2-DVD retrospective box set featuring 262 tracks spanning the period of 1939 to 1965.

Cole's familiar classics, both solo and with his King Cole Trio, can be found along with lesser-known tracks and rarities on the box's first eight discs.  The ninth CD features his landmark Live at the Philharmonic appearances from 1944, including performances of "Lester Leaps In," "Tea for Two," "Sweet Lorraine" and "One O'Clock Jump."  The tenth CD comprises rare and previously unreleased recordings illuminating the process behind Cole's art.  Among other material, you'll hear session takes of "Just You, Just Me," "Thank You, Pretty Baby," "United" and "Unfair," as well as tracks first issued on 2014's The Extraordinary Nat "King" Cole such as "Sweet William (and the Lily of the Valley)," "The Magic Window," "The Sleeping Beauty," "Little Fingers" and "You're Wrong, All Wrong."  These discs feature the arrangements of such legends as Nelson Riddle, Billy May and Gordon Jenkins.

Housed in a deluxe clamshell box, the set will also feature two DVDs.  The first features the previously unreleased 1963 Australian TV special The Mobil Limb Show.  The program captures Cole performing such favorites as "Mona Lisa," "The Way You Look Tonight," "Walkin' My Baby Back Home" and "To the Ends of the Earth."  The second DVD has director Jon Brewer's 2014 documentary Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark, which features the participation of artists including Harry Belafonte and Tony Bennett.

This ambitious collection looks to be a fine retrospective of Cole's career, which has previously been covered in depth on two complete solo Capitol box sets from Bear Family (one box spanning 1955-1959 and another covering 1960-1964) as well as a Mosaic box set chronicling all 349 of The Nat King Cole Trio's Capitol recordings.

His Musical Autobiography includes an 88-page book by author Richard Havers, which is illustrated with rare and unseen photos of Nat onstage and off.  The book also replicates his original tour scrapbook.  This deluxe tribute to the one and only Nat "King" Cole arrives from Universal Music on October 9.  You can peruse the track listing and pre-order below!

Nat "King" Cole, His Musical Autobiography (Capitol/UMe, 2015) (Amazon U.S. TBD / Amazon U.K.)

CD1: 1939-1943 - I LIKE TO RIFF

  1. There's No Anesthetic For Love
  2. Riffin' At The Bar-B-Q
  3. Harlem Swing
  4. Dancing In The Street
  5. I Like To Riff
  6. By The River Sainte Marie
  7. Sweet Lorraine
  8. This Side Up
  9. Honeysuckle Rose
  10. Gone With The Draft
  11. Early Morning Blues
  12. Scotchin' With Soda
  13. Hit The Ramp
  14. Stop! The Red Lights On
  15. Call The Police
  16. Are You Fer It
  17. That Ain't Right
  18. Hit That Jive Jack
  19. All For You
  20. Vim, Vom Veedle
  21. Pitchin' Up a Boogie
  22. Let's Spring One
  23. S.T. (Fine Sweet And Tasty)
  24. Got A Penny
  25. Let's Pretend

CD2: 1943-1946 - STRAIGHTEN UP AND FLY RIGHT

  1. Straighten Up and Fly Right
  2. I Just Can't See For Lookin'
  3. Jumpin' at Capitol
  4. If You Can't Smile and Say Yes
  5. Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good To You
  6. Sweet Lorraine
  7. Embraceable You
  8. It's Only A Paper Moon
  9. The Man I Love
  10. Body & Soul
  11. Prelude in C Sharp Minor
  12. What Is This Thing Called Love
  13. Easy Listening Blues
  14. I Realize Now
  15. Bring Another Drink
  16. I'm A Shy Guy
  17. You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You
  18. Sweet Georgia Brown
  19. It is Better to be By Yourself
  20. The Frim Fram Sauce
  21. Come To Baby Do!
  22. Homeward Bound
  23. This Way Out
  24. But She's My Buddy's Chick
  25. How Does it Feel

CD3: 1946-1949 - GET YOUR KICKS ON ROUTE 66

  1. (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66
  2. Everyone Is Sayin' Hello Again (Why Must We Say Goodbye?)
  3. I'm In The Mood For Love
  4. I've Only Myself To Blame
  5. To A Wild Rose
  6. You Call It Madness (But I Call It Love)
  7. The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)
  8. The Best Man
  9. I Love You For Sentimental Reasons
  10. In The Cool of the Evening
  11. You're the Cream In My Coffee
  12. Come In Out of The Rain
  13. Meet Me At No Special Place
  14. Save The Bones For Henry Jones
  15. Nature Boy
  16. It's The Sentimental Thing To Do
  17. The Geek
  18. Little Girl
  19. Lost April
  20. Put 'Em In A Box, Tie 'Em With A Ribbon
  21. Lush Life
  22. Land Of Love
  23. Yes Sir That's My Baby
  24. Calypso Blues
  25. My Baby Just Cares For Me

CD4: 1950-1951 - UNFORGETTABLE

  1. For You My Love
  2. I Almost Lost My Mind
  3. Baby Won't You Say You Love Me
  4. Mona Lisa
  5. The Greatest Inventor Of Them All
  6. Home (When Shadows Fall)
  7. The Tunnel Of Love
  8. Orange Colored Sky
  9. Jam-Bo
  10. Frosty The Snowman
  11. Jet
  12. The Magic Tree
  13. Always You
  14. Destination Moon
  15. Too Young
  16. That's My Girl
  17. Red Sails In The Sunset
  18. Because Of Rain
  19. Song Of Delilah
  20. Unforgettable
  21. My First and My Last Love
  22. Miss Me
  23. Walkin' My Baby Back Home
  24. The Ruby & The Pearl

CD5: 1952-54 - SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY

  1. Somewhere Along the Way
  2. Funny (Not Much)
  3. Penthouse Serenade
  4. Laura
  5. I'm Never Satisfied
  6. Faith Can Move Mountains
  7. Strange
  8. Pretend
  9. Can't I
  10. That's All
  11. I Am In Love
  12. Return To Paradise
  13. A Fool Was I
  14. Tenderly
  15. Let's Fall In Love
  16. Lover, Come Back To Me!
  17. Darling Je Vous Aime Beaucoup
  18. Answer Me, My Love
  19. It Happens To Be Me
  20. Make Her Mine
  21. Smile
  22. Hajji Baba (Persian Lament)
  23. My One Sin (In Life)
  24. The Sand and the Sea
  25. A Blossom Fell
  26. If I May
  27. Forgive My Heart

CD6: 1955-57 STARDUST

  1. I Want To Be Happy
  2. Someone You Love
  3. Take Me Back to Toyland
  4. Dreams Can Tell a Lie
  5. I'm Gonna Laugh You Right Out Of My Life
  6. Nothing Ever Changes My Love For You
  7. Ask Me
  8. Too Young To Go Steady
  9. Never Let Me Go
  10. That's All There is to That
  11. My Dream Sonata
  12. Night Lights
  13. To The Ends of the Earth
  14. Sweet Lorraine
  15. Ballerina
  16. Blame It On My Youth
  17. You Are My First Love
  18. When Rock and Roll Comes To Trinidad
  19. Love Letters
  20. Stardust
  21. Send For Me
  22. When I Fall In Love
  23. My Personal Possession
  24. With You On My Mind
  25. The Song Of Raintree County
  26. The Party's Over
  27. Angel Smile

CD7: 1958-60 - YOU MADE ME LOVE YOU

  1. St Louis Blues
  2. Looking Back
  3. Do I Like It
  4. Come Closer To Me
  5. Come To The Mardi Gras
  6. This is All I Ask
  7. The Very Thought Of You
  8. Mood Indigo
  9. Nothin' In The World
  10. Non Dimenticar (Don't Forget)
  11. Crazy She Calls Me
  12. Give Me Your Love
  13. Madrid
  14. You Made Me Love You
  15. I Must Be Dreaming
  16. Sweet Bird Of Youth
  17. In A Mellow Tone (instrumental)
  18. Midnight Flyer
  19. Time And The River
  20. Whatcha Gonna Do
  21. That's You
  22. Hundreds and Thousands of Girls
  23. My Love
  24. Wild is Love
  25. If I Knew
  26. Poinciana
  27. When It's Summer
  28. Illusion

CD8: 1961-65 - RAMBLIN' ROSE

  1. Take a Fool's Advice
  2. When My Sugar Walks Down the Street
  3. Let True Love Begin
  4. Cappuccina
  5. Step Right Up (And Say You Love Me)
  6. Everything Happens To Me
  7. The Right Thing to Say
  8. September Song
  9. Ramblin' Rose
  10. Your Cheatin' Heart
  11. Dear Lonely Hearts
  12. I Could Have Danced All Night
  13. All Over The World
  14. Nothing Goes Up (Without Coming Down)
  15. Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days Of Summer
  16. My True Carrie Love
  17. That Sunday, That Summer
  18. Mr Wishing Well
  19. I Don't Want To Be Hurt Anymore
  20. People
  21. More And More Of Your Amor
  22. Kareha (Japanese version of Autumn Leaves)
  23. I Don't Want To See Tomorrow
  24. L-O-V-E
  25. Let Me Tell You Babe
  26. The Ballad of Cat Ballou
  27. The Girl from Ipanema
  28. Three Little Words
  29. No Other Heart

CD9: JAZZ AT THE PHILHARMONIC

  1. Lester Leaps In
  2. Tea for Two
  3. Blues
  4. Body and Soul
  5. Sweet Lorraine
  6. The Man I Love
  7. I've Found a New Baby
  8. Rosetta
  9. Bugle Call Rag
  10. One O'Clock Jump
  11. Oh, Lady Be Good!

CD10: RARE & UNRELEASED

1 - 6. Just You, Just Me: Takes 1-6

  1. Little Child
  2. The Day Isn't Long Enough
  3. Sweet William (And The Lily Of The Valley)
  4. The Sleeping Beauty
  5. The Magic Window

12-20. Why Can't We Try Again

  1. You're Wrong, All Wrong
  2. Little Fingers

23-25. United: takes 1-3

  1. Unfair: take 8
  2. One Sun
  3. Coo Coo Roo Coo Coo Paloma

29-41. Thank You Pretty Baby: takes 1-13

DVD 1: MOBIL LIMB SHOW TELEVISION SPECIAL

  1. The Way You Look Tonight
  2. When I Fall In Love
  3. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Right Myself a Letter
  4. Imagination
  5. Mona Lisa
  6. It's Only a Paper Moon
  7. Too Young
  8. Where or When
  9. To The Ends of the Earth
  10. Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup
  11. To The Ends of the Earth
  12. Non Dimenticar
  13. To The Ends of the Earth
  14. Acércate Más
  15. To The Ends of the Earth
  16. Dear Lonely Hearts
  17. I Love A Piano
  18. Walking My Baby Back Home
  19. Ramblin' Rose
  20. A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening

DVD 2: NAT KING COLE - AFRAID OF THE DARK - 2014 Documentary

This award winning documentary is the final testimony on the tremulous life of a musical legend and also 'a beacon of hope' to blacks across 1950s America, as told by Director Jon Brewer.

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Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song and beyond, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with labels including Real Gone Music and Cherry Red Records, has released newly-curated collections produced and annotated by Joe from iconic artists such as Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, The Spinners, Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Meat Loaf, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Liza Minnelli, Darlene Love, Al Stewart, Michael Nesmith, and many others. Joe has written liner notes, produced, or contributed to over 200 reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them America, JD Souther, Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, BJ Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, Petula Clark, Robert Goulet, and Andy Williams. Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray. Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.

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