“Cole’s devotion, perhaps most memorably and mellifluously expressed in ‘Mona Lisa’, was to the enigma of beauty, that transcendent thing that we cannot adequately define but which we recognise as soon as confronted by it. Try ‘Blame It on My Youth’ here. Is it jazz? Probably. Is it beautiful? Certainly. Does it survive the ages? It has so far.”
PENGUIN GUIDE TO JAZZ


“Welcome to a world where everything seems light, graceful and airy –bright, cheerful and romantic –swinging, dancing and stunning. You are lucky, this world is that of Nat “King” Cole, who in those beautiful days of August and September 1956, at Los Angeles’ Capitol Studios, rediscovered the contagious happiness of singing while accompanying himself on the piano.”

JAZZ MAGAZINE

Tracklist

01 JUST YOU, JUST ME
02 SWEET LORRAINE
03 SOMETIMES I’M HAPPY
04 CARAVAN
05 IT’S ONLY A PAPER MOON
06 YOU’RE LOOKING AT ME
07 THE LONELY ONE
08 DON’T LET IT GO TO YOUR HEAD
09 I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW
10 BLAME IT ON MY YOUTH
11 WHEN I GROW TOO OLD TO DREAM
12 (GET YOUR KICKS ON) ROUTE 66
13 WHEN YOUR LOVER HAS GONE*
14 A COTTAGE FOR SALE*
15 WHO’S SORRY NOW*
16 ONCE IN A WHILE*
17 THESE FOOLISH THINGS*
18 JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT*
19 DON’T GET AROUND MUCH ANYMORE*
20 I UNDERSTAND*
21 JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS*
22 THE SONG IS ENDED*
23 I SHOULD CARE*
24 THE PARTY’S OVER*

NAT KING COLE, piano & vocals
HARRY “SWEETS” EDISON, trumpet
WILLIE SMITH, alto sax
JUAN TIZOL, valve trombone
STUFF SMITH, violin
JOHN COLLINS, guitar
CHARLIE HARRIS, bass
LEE YOUNG, drums
Los Angeles, August-September, 1956.
*Bonus album: Just One of Those Things