Nat King Cole - From The Capitol Vaults (Vol.4) (2023)

From The Capitol Vaults (Vol. 4) highlights Cole's velvety smooth voice that is perfectly suited to some of the greatest love songs ever written, capturing him at his most engaging. From the dramatic and lilting "Little Child" (1951) to the charming romantic waltz of "You Will Never Grow Old" (1952), to the whimsical "The First Baseball Game" (1961), the fourth volume of From the Capitol Vaults shows a playful side of Cole's music. The bossa nova and samba of "More and More of Your Amor" (1964) perfectly captures the steamy tropical vibes as we enter the dog days of summer. His jazzy take on "You Are My Sunshine" puts a big band spin on the 1940 American standard by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell.

His focus on harmony in music and in life allowed him to effortlessly inject a poignant and important Civil Rights message in the track "We Are Americans Too" (1956), featured on this compilation. Echoing the sentiments celebrated by the Juneteenth holiday toward emancipation, he conveys the well-documented struggle for equality in the eyes of his fellow Americans ("By the pick and the plow and the sweat of our brow / We are Americans too / We have given up our blood and bone / Helped to lay the Nation's cornerstone").

While he is best known as an iconic vocal legend, Nat King Cole is also remembered as being a loving father to his five children. His daughter Casey Cole told People.com in 2021, "We are so proud that our father touched the soul with his voice and was a quiet leader in the arts. He believed that he could bring harmony among people with his music. We want to continue that dream in a time when we really need it."

Cole's effervescent swing and moonlit balladry propelled him to the forefront of the most iconic performers ever to emerge from the jazz/pop sphere. An icon from the bygone Swing Era and Jazz Age, this volume is a great way to revisit and enjoy the Cole tracks that permeate our culture. But when it comes to American geniuses like him, digging a little deeper now and again is always an excellent idea.