If you’ve only heard Nat King Cole from his later vocal records – if you’ve only heard Lionel Hampton on the vibes – if you’ve never heard the King Cole Trio with drums – you’ve gotta hear this!
Hamp is out of the gate at a furious pace – cymbals ablaze – he proceeds to tear up the room throughout with hot breaks, wild punctuations, seemingly spontaneous solos, and a whole range of percussive novelties. Pianist Nat “King” Cole and guitarist Oscar Moore come in at a clip, each trading high-energy solos – but amidst the continuous onslaught coming from the drum set, they seem to get lost in the vortex of Hamp’s masterful performance. At a couple points, one of them cries out in spontaneous joy – which no doubt was a whirlwind of inspiration for those present.
What a wild ride! Great record!
Recorded in Hollywood, California on May 10, 1940.
Released as Victor 26652
Credits:
Nat “King” Cole – piano
Oscar Moore – guitar
Wesley Prince – bass
Lionel Hampton – drums
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