Album Notes

CD overview

This Cd has just been nominated for "The Top 10 List"
of the Jazz Journalist Association

In the 1940s Nat Cole and his trio recorded more than 200 songs. Nat (along with Teddy Wilson and Art Tatum) was the most influential piano player in this era. From the first big hit Straighten Up and Fly Right in 1944 to Mona Lisa in 1950, Nat and his trio, with Oscar Moore on guitar and Wesley Prince or Johnny Miller on bass, created hundreds of swinging and artistic arrangements.

Bourne has a warm voice, simple elegant style and the virtuosity combined with ease of execution needed to communicate the fun and swing of this music.
(please see biography hereunder)

Gary Moran has a deep respect and understanding of Nat's piano style and the music of his trio. This virtuoso piano player has transcribed the arrangements from the original recordings in great detail and his trio executes the introductions, interludes, and endings of the original recordings and contributes its own improvised solos that are contemporary, yet rooted in the 1940s style.


Ed De Lucia and Scott Black play the guitar and bass with the elegance and swing of Oscar Moore and Johnny Miller from the classic trio.


Biographies
Joe Bourne vocals - Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the singer/ entertainer, Joe Bourne was inspired by many of the big names of Jazz that toured the Boston area. Whether it's a swinging rendition of the fun song Goody Goody, Oscar Brown's philosophical "Dhat Dher" the romantic ballad of Erroll Garner's "Misty", or his special tribute to the great Nat King Cole, Joe, who has been influenced by the likes of Lou Rawls, Billy Eckstine, Arthur Prysok, and Nat King Cole always seems to capture the audience with his on style and warm mellifluous light baritone, voice and his dynamic showmanship.

Joe has shared the stage with Natalie Cole, Ray Charles, Nina Simone, Dionne Warwick and several other Jazz and Popular music greats. Over the years Joe has received several prestigious awards such as The Diamond of the year award presented by The Bund Botschafter Ohne Grenzen. and the Kunstler des Jahres (Artist of the Year award) both for Top class entertainment in Germany. The Silver Orpheus in Bulgaria and the Jimmy Kennedy award in Ireland both for his special presentation of Gershwin's "Summertime".
After 25 years of Europe being his home base, Joe has relocated his base of operations to sunny Tucson, Arizona. He continues to deliver his talents to European shores while he answers the call for his special brand of vocal entertainment throughout other parts of the globe.

Gary Moran piano - Gary arrived in Tucson in the spring of 2003. He brings 20 plus years of professional jazz piano experience to Nat Cole show. The last five years Gary was House piano player at The Homestead Resort in Virginia. Prior to that were years in New York, Japan and Chicago. Gary is also a jazz educator with a Masters in Music from Virginia Commonwealth University, Carpenter Center Performing Scholar, and an MFA from the Art Institute of Chicago. For more than 11 years Gary has coached under Bebop Legend Barry Harris. Gary has transcribed the arrangements from Nat's original recordings for the trio.

Scott Black bass - Scott graduated from Indiana University prior to spending six years in New York City. A trumpet player as well as a bass player, Scott worked with salsa bands, big bands, and small groups of all types. Scott had a meaningful relationship with jazz great Barry Harris, playing bass in his workshops rhythm section in 1982. In 1983 he relocated to Milwaukee where he started a music school with jazz piano player David Hazeltine. In Chicago from 1983 until 2002, Scott worked with all of that city's most legendary jazz musicians including Jodie Christian, Eddie Johnson, Willie Pickens, and Eric Schneider. In January 2002, he moved to Tucson, where he has found steady work playing jazz with that city's best musicians. Scott and Gary first started working together when they were both in Chicago in 1984.

Ed DeLucia Guitar - Eddy DeLucia grew up in the early '70s and was influenced by the blues. He continues to make that an integral part of his playing today forming a personal style integrating the blues and modern jazz.

See press release with video clip at : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/2/prweb204545.htm