Freddy Cole
Freddy
Cole, the legacy of
his brother Nat “King” Cole, will stir up
memories that will never be
forgotten. Now in his 55th year of
performing, this great singer
and pianist has developed a huge following of
his own. The
instantly recognizable Cole voice and a veteran
quartet, play the
classics as well as new compositions and
interpretations from a huge
repertoire.
Lionel
Frederick Cole was
born on October 15, 1931, the youngest of
Edward and Paulina Nancy Cole’s five children.
His three elder
brothers, Eddie, Ike and Nat (12 years Freddy’s
senior) were all
musicians. “I started playing piano at five or
six,” Freddy
remembers. “Music was all around me.” In
the Chicago home of his
youth, visitors included Duke Ellington, Count
Basie and Lionel
Hampton.
Cole moved to New York in 1951, where he studied
at the Juillard School
of Music and found himself profoundly influenced
by John Lewis, Oscar
Peterson and Teddy Wilson. He received a
master’s degree from the
New England Conservatory of Music and then spent
several months on the
road as a member of an Earl Bostic band that
also included Johnny Coles
and Benny Golson.
It was back in New York that Cole successfully
laid the groundwork for
a career that continues to flourish to this day.
He developed a vast
repertoire of songs in Manhattan bistros and
concurrently began to
supplement his live performances with television
and radio commercial
jingle work.
Cole doesn’t apologize for sounding like his
brother, Nat “King” Cole.
There are certain unmistakable similarities. He
plays piano and sings,
and performs live with guitar and upright bass,
just like Nat. Yet his
voice is raspier, smokier, jazzier even. But he
has emerged from the
awesome shadow cast by his elder brother. In
truth, his phrasing is far
closer to that of Frank Sinatra or Billie
Holiday than that of his
brother and his timing swings a little
more. His vocals – suave,
elegant, formidable and articulate – are among
the most respected in
jazz.
"He’s one of the
few male jazz singers
these days who is still at the height of his
powers and can be taken
seriously.”
Ben Ratliff
The New York Times
“Freddy
Cole
just
might
be the most attractively understated jazz singer
currently at work.”
Lloyd Sachs
Chicago Sun-Times
The Freddy
Cole Christmas Holiday
Show
The
legendary
Freddy
Cole,
with
the distinctive "Cole" family voice,
unwraps your favorite holiday gems in this
unforgettable Christmas
show. Reminiscent of the holdiay programs
his famed brother Nat
"King" Cole performed on tour and television,
Freddy recreates that
warm, nostalgic spirit.
Freddy sings and plays all
the holiday classics including "The Christmas
Song," "White Christmas,
" Jingle Bells" and more. The way that
only a Cole can do
it. The way that you remember.
The show is also
interwoven with family tales of Christmas' past
from the Cole
family. Bring the kids and the
grandparents for a holiday show
that the whole family can enjoy.
Downloads
Note: all of the
documents, audio
and video samples below can be downloaded
and used in your publicity by
opening the item and then saving to your
computer. Or you can
copy the link and use the link on your
website by right clicking on the
link and then selecting "Copy link
location".
>
Freddy
Cole Bio (pdf)
>
Freddy
Cole
NY
Times
Review (pdf)
>
New
York Times Review August 2009 (pdf)
>
Boston
Globe August 2009 (pdf)
>
Creative
Living
Article 2006 (pdf)
>
Atlanta
Journal
Article 2005 (pdf)
>
Film
Documentary
"The Cole Nobody Knows" (pdf)
>
Freddy
Cole
Discography
>
Jazz
Radio Charts Top 100 (2005) (pdf)
Hi-Res
Pictures
Freddy
Cole
2007
Hi-Res Color #1
Freddy
Cole
2007
Hi-Res Color #6
Freddy
Cole
2007
Hi-Res Color #11
Video
Trailer
Award
Winning Documentary "The Cole Nobody Knows"
I'm
Not My Brother,
I'm Me"
"Unforgettable"
Audio Mp3
Samples (3 min each)
"Mam'selle"
from "Talk to Me" (Highnote 2013) Mp3 sample
"Lovely
Day" from "Talk to Me" (Highnote 2013) Mp3
sample
"You
Just Can't Smile It Away" from "Talk to Me"
(Hightnote 2013) Mp3 sample
"Getting
Some
Fun
Out
of
Life" from Freddy Cole's "Because of You"
(HighNote
2006) (mp3)
"Blame
It
On
My
Youth"
from Freddy Cole's "Because of You"
(HighNote 2006)
(mp3)
Request
PR
Materials
Click
here to request a printed PR package on
Freddy Cole including his
latest CD*
Click
here to request a digital download copy
of Freddy Cole's latest
CD*
* Note CD's and
digital access to CD's are
strictly for performing arts centers,
festivals, clubs and for
producers of live performances.
All other requests should be forwarded
to the label.
|