Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole was an American singer and jazz pianist whose smooth baritone voice made him one of the most popular performers of the mid-twentieth century.
He recorded standards like "Unforgettable," "Mona Lisa," and "The Christmas Song." In 1956, he became the first Black American to host a national television variety show.
Thick-pile textile
- baritoneMid-range male voice
- balladeerSinger of narrative songs
- serenadeOutdoor romantic performance
- smoothWithout roughness or difficulty
phrasing · diction · romantic · standards · nightclub · intimate · supper club · lounge
Renaissance portrait, famously inscrutable
- Nature BoyUntamed outdoor dweller
- The Christmas SongHoliday standard about winter
- L-O-V-EProfound tender attachment
- Route 66Historic cross-country highway
Suspended recreational seat
- trioGroup of three
- bebopFast, complex jazz style
- improvisationSpontaneous, unplanned creation
- scatImprovised vocal jazz
stride · cool jazz · standards · jam session · syncopation · riff · ensemble · gig
Early explorer or settler
- trailblazerFirst to forge ahead
- influentialHaving considerable effect
- iconicWidely recognized, enduring
- timelessUnaffected by eras
classic · groundbreaking · first · crossover · television host · Capitol Records · Hollywood Walk of Fame · immortalized
velvet
Thick-pile textile
smooth · phrasing · diction · romantic · standards · nightclub · intimate · supper club · lounge · charisma
Mona Lisa
Renaissance portrait, famously inscrutable
- Nature BoyUntamed outdoor dweller
- The Christmas SongHoliday standard about winter
- L-O-V-EProfound tender attachment
swing
Suspended recreational seat
- trioGroup of three
- bebopFast, complex jazz style
- improvisationSpontaneous, unplanned creation
scat · stride · cool jazz · standards · jam session · syncopation · riff · ensemble · gig · upbeat
pioneer
Early explorer or settler
- trailblazerFirst to forge ahead
- influentialHaving considerable effect
- iconicWidely recognized, enduring
timeless · classic · groundbreaking · first · crossover · television host · Capitol Records · Hollywood Walk of Fame · immortalized · enduring
keyboard
Array of input keys
- ivoriesPiano keys, informally
- grandImposing or splendid
- accompanimentSupplementary support element
arpeggio · chords · voicings · fingering · touch · trio · comping · stride · boogie-woogie · self-accompanied
- Black MusiciansAretha Franklin, Beyonce, James Brown, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder
- CroonersBing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, Perry Como
- Jazz ArtistsMiles Davis, John Coltrane, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie
- Jazz PianoThelonious Monk, Herbie Hancock, comping, voicings, block chords
- music industryalbum, albums, singles, record label, record labels
- 1950s IconsElvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Lucille Ball, Audrey Hepburn
Nat King ColeTom Waits
Louis Armstrong · Joe Cocker · Rod Stewart · Janis Joplin · James Brown
Nat King ColeJohnny Rotten
Sid Vicious · Iggy Pop · Jerry Lee Lewis · Little Richard · Jimi Hendrix
Nat King ColeNina Simone
Paul Robeson · Malcolm X · Harry Belafonte · Gil Scott-Heron · Dick Gregory
kingdom, King, kingpin, kingly, Kings, Nathan, kingship, kingfisher, kingmaker