When I hear Nat King Cole, immediately 2 very Unforgettable things come to mind, Natalie Cole’s post humus record and my father.
Song and review after the jump
First I will tell you that my father, and Nat didn’t have much in common. It’s hard to draw parallels between a pioneering Black Entertainer, born in 1919 and died in 1965, who graced the America Music scene, crossing the color barrier to become the First Black Entertainer to host a television show, and a white Vietnam Vet, and former Superintendent CO, who was born near 30 years later. But like Nat, my dad has Soul, or can at least fake it and listen to Soul. So as a result, unlike many kids, I grew up with some closet music tastes: Prince, Stevie, Nat King Cole, Sly and the Family Stone, Sinatra, not popular choices when everyone else Smells like Teen Spirit, and is searching for Whom the Bell Tolls. But for a brief moment in 1991, when Natalie released her Unforgettable … with Love, and exposed a new generation of fans to her father’s music, it was suddenly cool.
Well it may be cool again. Not cool like when Slick Rick referenced Nat’s famous first line in his version of Mona Lisa, but cool like, with the help of some of today’s most recognizable names in music, (Cee-lo, Nas, Will.I.Am, Souldiggaz, Izza Kizza, Stephen and Damian Marley, and more), you may be hearing Nat’s voice over the airwaves once again. Re-Generation, the upcoming Nat King Cole release, puts 13 of Nat’s most recognizable songs, and some you may have never heard to the test of time.
With the recent popularity of projects like, the project reminds me of one that I referenced just last Monday, Bob Marley’s Chant Down Babylon, And there are ever at least two artists who worked on the both discs. But just as Chant Down Babylon, turned me on to some obscure I can’t promise that Re-Generation will be fire from end to end, but I can promise that there will be some gems.
Will.I.Am and Natalie Cole – Straighten Up and Fly Right
Straighten up and fly right – Will.i.am and nataliecole
Peace
