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Sessions of 1950

1950

January 5, 1950

(1:00 – 4:00 p.m.), Capitol Recording Studio, 5515 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, California

Nat Cole (piano, vocal), Nellie Lutcher (vocal), Joe Comfort (bass), Irving Ashby (guitar), Earl Hyde (drums), Charlie Barnett (tenor sax), Ernie Royal (trumpet)

Note: Both titles feature head arrangements.
Note: Possibly produced by Jim Conkling.

February 9, 1950

(12:00 – 6:00 p.m.), Capitol Recording Studio, 5515 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, California

Nat Cole (piano, vocal), Irving Ashby (guitar), Joe Comfort (bass), Lee Young (drums), possibly Jack Costanzo (bongas/congas), The Starlighters (vocals: 5159, 5162, 5526), Girl Trio (vocals:5160 & 5161)

Note: Lee Young plays drums on the last two titles only.
Note: Jack Constanzo is listed in the Mosaic booklet as playing on the last two titles, but is not listed in the union contract of the session.
Note: The Girl Trio is probably three of the King Sisters known as the Alyce King Vokettes or the female from The Starlighters, who may by this time have not been Pauline Byrnes, and two of the King Sisters.
Note: Possibly produced by Jim Conkling

March 9, 1950

New York

Nat Cole (piano, vocal), Irving Ashby (guitar), Joe Comfort (bass), Jack Costanzo (bongos/congas*)

Note: Final King Cole Trio transcription session.

March 11, 1950

(Session #1658, 2:00 – 6:30 p.m.) Capitol Recording Studio, 5515 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, California

Nat Cole (vocal, piano on 5666), Les Baxter (arranger/conductor), Gus Levene, Nelson Riddle (arranger), Felix Slatkin, Paul Shure, Daniel Lube, Lou Raderman, Mark Levant, Murray Kellner, David Frisina, Samuel Cytron (violin), David Sterkin, Allan Harshman (viola), Cy Bernard, Eleanor Slatkin (cello), Buddy Cole (piano), Irving Ashby (guitar), Joe Comfort (bass), Jack Constanzo (bongos), Lee Young (drums), unknown vocal chorus*

Note: Riddle arranged 5664. It is not clear which titles were arranged by Levene and which were by Baxter.
Note: 5666 features the rhythm section only
Note: Possibly produced by Lou Busch

May 11, 1950

New York

Nat Cole (vocal/piano?), Maria Cole (vocal*),Walter Rivers (conductor), Pete Rugolo (arranger), Irving Ashby (guitar), Joe Comfort (bass), Alyce King Vokettes (vocals**), others unknown

May 19, 1950

New York

Nat Cole (vocal/piano?), Maria Cole (vocal*), Walter Rivers (conductor), Pete Rugolo (arranger), Sid Cooper (clarinet/flute), Al Richman (french horn), Zelly Smirnoff, Lou Stone, George Zorning, Stan Karpenia, Frank York, George Koch (violin), Dick Freitag, Rudy Sims (viola), Pete Makas, Ray Sabinsky (cello), Irving Ashby (guitar), Joe Comfort (bass), Mel Zelnick (drums), Alyce King Vokettes (vocals)

Note: 5758 is “A Woman’s Got a Right to Change Her Mind” and was a Maria Cole solo vocal.

August 16, 1950

Capitol Recording Studio, 5515 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, California

Nat Cole (piano/vocal) Stan Kenton Orchestra, Pete Rugolo (arranger), Shorty Rogers (arranger*), Maynard Ferguson, Jim Salko, Buddy Childers, Chico Alvarez, Shorty Rogers (trumpet), Milt Bernhart, Harry Betts, Bob Fitzpatrick, Johnny Haliburton, Herbie Harper (trombone), Bud Shank, Art Pepper (alto sax), Bob Cooper, Bert Calderal (tenor sax), Bob Gioga (baritone sax), Irving Ashby, Laurindo Almeida (guitar), Joe Comfort, Don Bagley (bass), Jack Costanzo (bongas/congas), Shelly Manne (drums), Jim Conkling (producer).

Note: Almeida and Bagley replace Ashby and Comfort on 6514
Note: It has been suggested that both Cole and Kenton played piano on 6514

August 25, 1950

(Session #1893, 1:00 – 6:00 p.m.), Capitol Recording Studio, 5515 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, California

Nat Cole (vocal/piano*), Pete Rugolo (arranger/conductor), Dave Barbour (conductor**), Harold Mooney, Heinie Beau, Lou Busch (piano/arranger), Buddy Childers (trumpet), George Kast (violin), Harry Steinfeld (sax), Jules Kinsler (flute), Jack Costanzo (bongos), Shelly Manne (drums), Irving Ashby (guitar), Joe Comfort (bass), Cy Bernard, Eleanor Slatking, Armand Kaproff, Ed Lustgarten (cello), Jud Conlin Rhythmaires: Mac McLean, Jud Conlin, Charlie Parletto, Loulie Jean Norman, Gloria Wood (vocals)

Note: The Capitol Records Manuscript Index credits Rugolo for the arrangements of both 6542 & 6545. This seems unlikely given that Mooney is credited as an arranger for the session in the union contract. Furthermore, Rugolo’s arranging fee ($79) suggests he did just one tune; contrastingly, Mooney’s arranging fee was $172, indicating that he likely did the two tunes in question. The union arranging fee at the time was $3.98 per page.
Note: Possibly produced by Lou Busch

December 11, 1950

New York

Nat Cole (vocal/piano?), Joe Lippman (arranger/conductor), Neal Hefti (arranger/conductor), Irving Ashby (guitar), Joe Comfort (bass), Jack Costanzo (bongos), The Ray Charles Singers (vocals*), others unknown

A Pile o' Cole's
Nat King Cole Website