At the Sands

Nat King Cole

It's hard to believe, but this is the only Las Vegas recording in Nat "King" Cole's large discography. It was made at the glitzy Sands Casino in 1960, during the heyday of Sinatra and the Rat Pack, and it's Cole's elegant tenor voice, rather than his brilliant Earl "Fatha" Hines-inspired piano playing, that was the focus at this stage of his career. As a pop singer, Cole had the audience in the palm of his hand like no other entertainer of his era, save for the Chairman of the Board. Backed by a big band arranged by Dave Cavanaugh, Cole belts out some hip renditions of well-worn standards like "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top" and "I Wish You Love," and the haunting "Miss Otis Regrets (She's Unable to Lunch Today)." Included for the first time in this crystal-clear, digitally remastered set are several bonus tracks. Duke Ellington's "In a Mellotone" is a rare instrumental from 1959 of the Ducal classic. "Whatcha' Gonna Do" and the sarcastically grooving "Mr. Cole Won't Rock and Roll" are the other two additions to this swinging live date from this monarch of American music. --Eugene Holley Jr.

At the Sands Album: