One can sympathize with
Freddie Cole's plight. The younger brother of
Nat King Cole,
Freddie has spent most of his life in his brother's shadow, even though
Nat died in 1965. The problem is that
Freddie is also a pianist/vocalist and sometimes performs similar material. In fact, the title of this CD is a bit absurd, since
Cole is heard playing in the same type of group that
Nat made famous (a trio with guitarist Ed Zad and bassist Eddie Edwards) and his repertoire includes such songs as "Home Fried Potatoes," "To Whom It May Concern," "The Best Man," and a ten-minute, six-song "Nat Cole Medley." Add to that such originals as "He Was the King" and "I'm Not My Brother, I'm Me," and one is not allowed to forget for a moment that
Freddie was
Nat's brother. Actually,
Freddie has an older and raspier voice (which is natural, since he has outlived
Nat) and his piano style is more tied to 1950s jazz (such as
Red Garland) than to swing. This fairly definitive CD from
Freddie Cole does give one a strong sampling of his talents. ~ Scott Yanow