Great Beginnings

Review

This English reissue CD has ten of the Nat King Cole Trio's 16 Decca recordings, plus 16 selections taken from their early days with Capitol. A single-disc sampler that can be most enjoyed by casual listeners rather than completists, the Avid set contains quite a few classic moments, including two of Cole's first hits ("Straighten Up and Fly Right" and the remake of "Sweet Lorraine"), many fine solos (the versions of "What Is This Thing Called Love," "Body and Soul" and "Easy Listenin' Blues" are particularly memorable), and strong interplay between pianist Cole, guitarist Oscar Moore and either Wesley Prince or Johnny Miller on bass. Although Nat does a bit of singing, there are almost as many group vocals and a healthy dose of instrumentals. All of the material is available elsewhere.