Mark Murphy Sings Nat's Choice The Complete Nat "King" Cole Songbook Volumes 1 and 2 | ||||
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Compilation album by | ||||
Released | 1986 | |||
Recorded | 1983 | |||
Studio | Western Sound Studios, Kalamazoo, Michigan and Sage & Sound Studio, Hollywood, California | |||
Genre | Vocal jazz | |||
Length | 1:07:37 | |||
Label | Muse | |||
Producer | Mark Murphy and Steve Zegree | |||
Mark Murphy chronology | ||||
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Mark Murphy Sings Nat's Choice The Complete Nat "King" Cole Songbook Volumes 1 and 2 is a 1986 studio compilation album by Mark Murphy.
Mark Murphy Sings Nat's Choice The Complete Nat "King" Cole Songbook Volumes 1 and 2 is a compilation of two Muse Records studio albums by American jazz vocalist Mark Murphy; namely, Mark Murphy Sings the Nat King Cole Songbook, Volume One and Mark Murphy Sings Nat's Choice: The Nat King Cole Songbook, Volume Two. It was released by the Muse label in the United States in 1986, the year following the releases of the separate volumes. This album is a collection of songs associated with Nat King Cole. Murphy received his third Grammy Award nomination for his performance. Mark Murphy released several tribute albums during his career including Memories of You for Joe Williams, Bop for Miles for Miles Davis, Bop for Kerouac and Kerouac, Then and Now for Jack Kerouac, Night Moods for Ivan Lins, The Latin Porter for Cole Porter , and What a Way to Go dedicated to Sammy Davis Jr.
In 1983 Murphy decided to record a tribute album to his teenage idol Nat King Cole. Murphy said, "Everybody else was a Sinatra freak, but I was a Nat King Cole freak...He was like rhythmic honey". [1] Murphy said that Cole delivered, "the loosest, slipperiest vocals in the world". [2] Murphy wrote in the liner notes to Vol.1, "This Nat King Cole Songbook is dedicated to his daughter Natalie and brother Freddie - two fabulous singers - but mostly to the memory of Nat's A&R man at Capitol Records, Lee Gillette. Lee was also a founding member of NARAS". [3]
In an interview with John Watson for the BBC Murphy said, “My uncle - my mother's brother - introduced me to the music of Art Tatum in around 1937 or 38, and so I started riding down across the park to listen to the rest of his jazz records. He had a lot of Benny Goodman, and I had very early introductions to Peggy Lee, Stan Kenton, June Christy . . . and Nat "King" Cole was truly my king in those days, you know.” [4]
The tracks were recorded in two sessions in October and November of 1983 with Murphy and Steve Zegree producing. Each tune is recorded as a duet with a single instrument, either bass, piano or guitar. Murphy was attracted to the challenge of having his voice so very exposed in this rather stark approach to the songs. [1] Michael Bourne wrote in the liner notes, "Murphy's voice, always a spectacular instrument in itself, is called upon to be even more virtuosic than ever". [5] Murphy said the recording was a tribute, not a copy, "to my first influence, and to Nat's taste. Of course he could make everything sound good, but he also picked such wonderful songs". [2] Murphy decided to include many lesser known songs associated with Cole, and avoided many of his bigger hits.
Bob Magnusson, who appeared with Murphy on Bop for Kerouac, accompanies on bass on three tracks (1,6,16). The pianist and guitarist had not previously recorded with Murphy. Gary Schunk accompanies on piano on seven tracks (3, 5, 8–11, 15). And Murphy is accompanied by guitarist Joseph LoDuca on seven tracks (2, 4, 7, 12–14, 17).
Two tracks, one from each original volume, did not make it on this compilation: "Until the Real Thing Comes Along / Baby, Baby All the Time" (Sammy Cahn, Saul Chaplin, L.E. Freeman, Mann Holiner, Alberta Nichols / Bobby Troup) which is track 8 on volume 1 and "Walkin' My Baby Back Home / Breezin' Along With the Breeze" (Fred Ahlert, Roy Turk / Haven Gillespie, Seymour Simons, Richard A. Whiting) which is track 3 on volume 2.
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
AllMusic Guide to Jazz | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Scott Yanow assigns 4 stars to Vol. 1 and 3 stars to Vol. 2 in the AllMusic Guide to Jazz. [7] He said, "It would have been nice if all of the musicians could have played together a bit, but the strong material and Murphy's interpretive skills hold one's interest throughout...Murphy mostly avoided the obvious hits, opting for particularly strong material that fits his chance-taking style". [7] Yanow calls the combined release of Vol.1 and Vol 2. "excellent" in his book The Jazz Singers: The Ultimate Guide. [8]
Colin Larkin assigns 3 stars to the album in The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music. [6] (3 stars means, "Good: a record of average worth, but one that might possess considerable appeal for fans of a particular style"). [6]
Murphy biographer Peter Jones singles out "These Foolish Things" as "one of the most affecting songs on the album", and said the recordings for Vol 2. were "more accessible" than Vol 1. [1]
Murphy was nominated for a Grammy award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male at the 28th Annual Grammy Awards for his performance on Mark Murphy Sings Nat's Choice - The Nat "King" Cole Songbook Volume I. He lost to Bobby McFerrin and Jon Hendricks for Another Night in Tunisia. [1]
All for You: A Dedication to the Nat King Cole Trio is the third studio album by Canadian singer Diana Krall, released on March 12, 1996, by Impulse! Records and GRP Records. The album pays tribute to the Nat King Cole Trio.
Song for My Father is a 1965 album by the Horace Silver Quintet, released on the Blue Note label in 1965. The album was inspired by a trip that Silver had made to Brazil. The cover artwork features a photograph of Silver's father, John Tavares Silver, to whom the title composition was dedicated. "My mother was of Irish and Negro descent, my father of Portuguese origin," Silver recalls in the liner notes: "He was born on the island of Maio, one of the Cape Verde Islands."
Unity is an album by jazz organist Larry Young, released on the Blue Note label in August, 1966. The album features trumpeter Woody Shaw, tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson and drummer Elvin Jones. While not free jazz, the album features experimentation that was innovative for the time. Young chose the title because, "although everybody on the date was very much an individualist, they were all in the same frame of mood. It was evident from the start that everything was fitting together." The album was Young's second for Blue Note, and is widely considered a "post-bop" classic.
Mark Howe Murphy was an American jazz singer based at various times in New York City, Los Angeles, London, and San Francisco. He recorded 51 albums under his own name during his lifetime and was principally known for his innovative vocal improvisations. He was the recipient of the 1996, 1997, 2000, and 2001 Down Beat magazine readers' jazz poll for Best Male Vocalist and was also nominated five times for the Grammy Award for Best Vocal Jazz Performance. He wrote lyrics to the jazz tunes "Stolen Moments" and "Red Clay".
Bruce Forman is an American jazz guitarist.
Bob Magnusson is an American jazz bassist.
Living Room is a 1984 studio album by Mark Murphy.
Manhattan Plaza is an album by saxophonist Ricky Ford. It was recorded on August 1, 1978, and released by Muse Records the following year.
"Send for Me" is a song written by Ollie Jones and performed by Nat King Cole featuring the McCoy's Boys. It reached No. 1 on the U.S. R&B chart and No. 6 on the U.S. pop chart in 1957. The song was arranged by Billy May.
Bop for Kerouac is a 1981 studio album by Mark Murphy.
Kerouac, Then and Now is a 1989 studio album by Mark Murphy.
September Ballads is a 1987 studio album by Mark Murphy.
Wild and Free: Live at the Keystone Korner is a 1980 live album by Mark Murphy.
Satisfaction Guaranteed is a 1979 studio album by Mark Murphy.
Beauty and the Beast is a 1986 studio album by Mark Murphy.
Stolen Moments is a 1978 studio album by Mark Murphy.
Mark Murphy Sings Mostly Dorothy Fields & Cy Coleman is a 1977 studio album by Mark Murphy.
What a Way to Go is a studio album by Mark Murphy.
Mark Murphy Sings the Nat King Cole Songbook, Volume One is a studio album by Mark Murphy.
Mark Murphy Sings Nat's Choice: The Nat "King" Cole Songbook, Volume Two is a studio album by Mark Murphy.