Before he became a pop star Cole was a tremendously influential pianist (one of Ray Charles’ faves). Sanctimonious purists at the time were bemused at the pairing with Shearing (a great player in his own right) given how badass Cole was in that regard.
Jazz geek trivia: as an adolescent Shearing was in an all-blind band. Just as they were about to rehearse something, one of the musicians announced “hang on, I’ve lost my eye.” His glass eye had fallen out, resulting in a half dozen blind dudes on their hands and knees looking for an eyeball .
Listened to Mr. Cole for many years, my folks had his albums. He still has a voice like no other, plus he pronounces the words and doesn’t mumble them.
What a wonderful treat to hear this today. You could say it was Unforgettable.
Before he became a pop star Cole was a tremendously influential pianist (one of Ray Charles’ faves). Sanctimonious purists at the time were bemused at the pairing with Shearing (a great player in his own right) given how badass Cole was in that regard.
Jazz geek trivia: as an adolescent Shearing was in an all-blind band. Just as they were about to rehearse something, one of the musicians announced “hang on, I’ve lost my eye.” His glass eye had fallen out, resulting in a half dozen blind dudes on their hands and knees looking for an eyeball .
Listened to Mr. Cole for many years, my folks had his albums. He still has a voice like no other, plus he pronounces the words and doesn’t mumble them.
What a wonderful treat to hear this today. You could say it was Unforgettable.