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Title:  Calypso Blues: The Songs of Nat King Cole 
Artist:  Monty Alexander 
Genre:  Jazz / Mainstream 
Label:  Chesky Records 
Release Date:  2008 

Monty Alexander follows up his tribute to Tony Bennett with an homage to another classic jazz singer, Nat King Cole. Also recorded in New York City at St. Peter's Episcopal Church with the same trio of Chicagoans Lorin Cohen on bass and drummer George Fludas, the veteran pianist seems more in his element with this artist's repertoire, one that sharply defined his own sound and thinking about popular jazz. Though all of the tunes selected are not so closely linked to Cole's hit parade songbook, the way Alexander plays them with subtlety and depth does reflect what made Cole the king in the late '50s and early '60s. With the immaculate sound and performance by this fine trio--not to mention that they don't play Cole's songbook by rote or by the numbers--it's hard to fault the effort, heart, and soul behind a concept album that should delight many jazz listeners.