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Catalog Data

Artist:
Herman Leonard, 1923 - 2010  Search this
Sitter:
Nat King Cole, 17 Mar 1919 - 25 Feb 1965  Search this
Medium:
Selenium-toned gelatin silver print
Dimensions:
Image: 38 × 30.5cm (14 15/16 × 12")
Sheet: 50.5 × 40.5cm (19 7/8 × 15 15/16")
Frame: 71.8 × 56.5 × 3.8 cm (28 1/4 × 22 1/4 × 1 1/2")
Type:
Photograph
Place:
United States\New York\Kings\New York
Date:
1949 (printed 1998)
Exhibition Label:
Few twentieth-century entertainers rivaled the popularity of singer and pianist Nat “King” Cole. With a performing style rooted firmly in jazz, Cole first gained notice as an innovative pianist when he joined Oscar Moore (guitar) and Wesley Prince (double bass) in 1937 to form what quickly became known as the King Cole Trio. After the ensemble recorded several discs for Decca Records’ “Sepia Series,” Cole teamed up independently with saxophonist Lester Young and bassist Red Calendar to record a memorable jazz LP in 1942. Signed by Capitol Records the following year, Cole and his trio (now with Johnny Miller on double bass) scored a succession of hits, ranging from “Straighten Up and Fly Right” (1943) to “The Christmas Song” (1946), all featuring Cole’s lustrous baritone on vocals. When a solo career beckoned, he responded. In 1950, backed by a full orchestra, Cole recorded “Mona Lisa”—the first in a long line of chart-topping releases.
Pocos artistas del siglo XX rivalizaron en popularidad con el cantante y pianista Nat “King” Cole. Dueño de un estilo enraizado firmemente en el jazz, Cole se dio a conocer primero como un pianista innovador con su King Cole Trio, formado en 1937 junto a Oscar Moore (guitarra) y Wesley Prince (contrabajo). Luego de grabar con el trío varios discos para la serie “Sepia” de Decca Records, Cole grabó independientemente un memorable LP en 1942, junto al saxofonista Lester Young y al bajista Red Calendar. Contratados por Capitol Records al año siguiente, Cole y su trío (ahora con Johnny Miller en el contrabajo) lograron una serie de grandes éxitos, desde “Straighten Up and Fly Right” (1943) hasta “The Christmas Song” (1946), todos en la brillante voz de barítono de Cole. Con el tiempo, Cole respondería al llamado de una carrera en solitario. En 1950, acompañado por una orquesta completa, grabó “Mona Lisa”, la primera de numerosas interpretaciones suyas que ocuparían la cima de las listas de popularidad.
Topic:
Interior  Search this
Music\Musical instrument\Piano  Search this
Music\Musical instrument\Guitar  Search this
Music\Musical instrument\Drum  Search this
Music\Musical instrument\Bass  Search this
Nat King Cole: Male  Search this
Nat King Cole: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Songwriter  Search this
Nat King Cole: Performing Arts\Performer\Actor\Movie actor  Search this
Nat King Cole: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Singer\Popular singer  Search this
Nat King Cole: Performing Arts\Performer\Television personality  Search this
Nat King Cole: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Pianist  Search this
Nat King Cole: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Singer\Jazz singer  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Object number:
NPG.2014.111.6
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
Copyright:
© Herman Leonard Photography LLC
See more items in:
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Location:
Currently not on view
Data Source:
National Portrait Gallery
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4e35a6e10-0b5b-4471-90fb-d085fca71a06
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_NPG.2014.111.6