Even though
Nat King Cole had officially disbanded
the King Cole Trio only months earlier, it certainly didn't take long for him to once again record with and lead a small instrumental ensemble.
Penthouse Serenade (1952) allowed the artist to return to his roots as a pianist, while remaining eternally hip with a timeless elegance all his own. Joining
Cole on piano were
John Collins (guitar), Charlie Harris (bass),
Jack Costanzo (percussion), and Bunny Shawker (drums) on the sessions for the original eight-song 10" platter. Two years later -- with the 12" long-playing format quickly becoming all the rage -- Capitol Records decided to expand the contents with supplementary material. However, when
Cole and company reassembled to document the additional four songs, it was with
Lee Young (drums) rather than Shawker. Parties interested in examples of why
Cole's playing and overall musical savoir-faire remain in a class all their own need listen no further. The moniker
Penthouse Serenade and the wide array of pop standards within might initially suggest a stylistic sidetrack into the insipid world of "space age bachelor pad" music. Yet the truth and proof of
Cole's omniscient sonic chic and impeccable taste are woven into every one of his prudently placed phrases and clean, compact keyboarding. The opening title track -- which is parenthetically designated as "When We're Alone" -- initiates an album replete with elegance and minus the pretension that seemed to bog down other instrumentalists of the era. Even as there are no subpar performances, a few selections are conspicuous in their ability to capture
Cole's musical refinement perfectly. The lilt he brings to "Somebody Loves Me,""Once in a Blue Moon," "Down by the Old Mill Stream," "It Can Happen to You," and "Little Girl" is seemingly flawless.
Cole's piano runs never interfere, but ultimately enhance the melodies. The same can be said of the ballads "Don't Blame Me," "I Surrender Dear," and an achingly beautiful "If I Should Lose You." [In 1998 Capitol Jazz issued a CD version of
Penthouse Serenade that included seven bonus tracks from the same sessions that yielded the original LP -- over half of which were previously unreleased.] ~ Lindsay Planer