March 17 affords us an opportunity to not only celebrate a saint - the venerable Patrick - but also a king. The royal side of this pairing is the inimitable jazz pianist and singer, Nat "King" Cole, who was born on this day in 1919. I didn't prepare a biography today, but Scott Johnson did, and it's a fine tribute that includes two landmark performances.
I would like to add another video to the mix. This one features Cole singing with Johnny Mercer, the favorite son of Savannah, Georgia. Mercer is credited with discovering Cole in 1943 and developing his early career with Capitol Records, an enterprise founded by Mercer, Buddy DeSylva, and Glenn Wallichs the previous year. What a pleasure it is to watch these two extraordinary artists enjoying themselves in a fun performance on Cole's NBC television show from the 1950s.
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