For those unaware, Buddy Cole, born in Illinois in 1916, was a jazz and easy listening pianist, organist, composer, arranger and orchestra leader, who was famous for accompanying artists like Bing Crosby, Johnnie Ray and Rosemary Clooney but who established a reputation with his trademark style of concept albums during the 1950s combining jazz styling with smooth arrangements of Great American Songbook standards.

This 77-track 3CD collection comprises the titles from his albums Have Organ, Will Swing, Hot And Cole, Sleepy Time Gal, Powerhouse, Most Recorded Songs Of All Time and Swing Fever, and most of the titles from his album Buddy Cole Plays Cole Porter.

It features him in various musical settings, playing solo piano and Hammond organ, recording with small groups and with full orchestras, so offers a range of contexts in which to appreciate his different approaches to the repertoire. He was an influential figure, helping to popularize the Hammond organ in mainstream pop music, and this collection is a substantial and enjoyable showcase for his music.

Edwin LeMar Buddy Cole (December 15, 1916 – November 5, 1964) was a jazz pianist, organist, orchestra leader, and composer who played behind a number of pop singers, including Rosemary Clooney and Bing Crosby.

A driving force in space-age pop and jazz-influenced organ music, producing high-fidelity, swing-infused albums such as Hot and Cole and Cheek to Cheek, his 1959 album Hot and Cole is often cited as a prime example of his work. His swinging Hammond organ performances, especially recordings with dual Hammond organs, are considered his peak, and rightfully so, but he was dutifully recognized for creating a distinct sound for every instrument he played; despite minimal formal training. He was a master of arranging and a key figure in the so-called pipe organ pop genre.

As for the man himself, well, Buddy Cole can be heard playing at times on his varying albums no less than six parts, and simultaneously. Since each of his Hammond organs was equipped with two keyboards and one set of foot pedals, multiplied by two, Buddy could swing with six musical lines at once. But more than that, he could, in the erstwhile tradition of the old battle of the bands, conduct an evenly matched battle between his two instruments, letting take one take the lead, while the other pumps away madly on the accompaniment, saving his head-on collisions for the climaxes.

Furthermore, the renowned theatre organ heard on some of these album tracks was the 17-rank Wurlitzer organ from the United Artists theatre plus nine ranks from a one-time radio studio Robert Morton theatre organ which he installed in the garage of a former residence in North Hollywood (and on which he recorded three albums for the Columbia and Capitol labels).

Tracklisting:
1. That Old Black Magic 2. Memories Of You 3. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea 4. Early Autumn 5. I Hear Music 6. They Can’t Take That Away From Me 7. I Cover The Waterfront 8. Two Little Girls 9. Let’s Fall In Love 10. Blue Lou 11. It All Depends On You 12. Lullaby Of Broadway 13. So In Love 14. What Is This Thing Called Love 15. I Get A Kick Out Of You 16. I Love You 17. It’s All Right With Me 18. Just One Of Those Things 19. You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To 20. Love For Sale 21. Christopher Columbus 22. The Dipsy Doodle 23. Judy 24. I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm 25. Lullaby Of The Leaves 26. Idaho 27. Tuxedo Junction 28. Amor 29. As Long As I Live 30. Opus #1 31. I’ll Remember April 32. Jersey Bounce 33. Lover Come Back To Me 34. You Took Advantage Of Me 35. Mean To Me 36. Almost In Your Arms 37. Fulfillment 38. Love Me Or Leave Me 39. If I Could Be With You 40. Sleepy Time Gal 41. No Other Love 42. Chloe 43. Indian Summer 44. It Happened In Monterey 45. The Lady Is A Tramp 46. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart 47. What Is There To Say 48. Ridin’ High 49. Georgia On My Mind 50. Just You, Just Me 51. I’m Beginning To See The Light 52. Will You Still Be Mine? 53. Don’t Get Around Much Anymore 54. Powerhouse 55. Accent On Youth 56. Laura 57. Begin The Beguine 58. Over The Rainbow 59. Body And Soul 60. September Song 61. St. Louis Blues 62. All The Things You Are 63. Tenderly 64. Autumn Leaves 65. Star Dust 66. Pagan Love Song 67. Brazil 68. The Hour Of Parting 69. The Peanut Vendor 70. Softly As In The Morning Sunrise 71. Old Devil Moon 72. Heat Wave 73. La Rosita 74. Frenesi 75. The Moon Was Yellow 76. Poinciana 77. Crazy Rhythm

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