‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ welcomed the great Nat King Cole in 1956. This is one of Nat’s 13 appearances on ‘Sullivan’ over the years. The two men actually became really close friends.
Ed starts the introduction by telling Nat that he’s received many requests for him to simply sit down at the piano and play an instrumental. In his deep baritone voice, Nat responds, ‘I’d be glad to.’
The legendary Nat King Cole was an accomplished singer, but he was also known as a great composer and pianist. He plays a nice improvised jazz solo on the piano while accompanied by a big band to the tune ‘Just One of Those Things.’
Most of the tune is drums and bass with Nat’s piano overtop. Horn hits accent certain sections, bringing them to life. As the song builds in intensity, Nat pounds the keys harder.
His fingers go across the keys with lightning quickness, and Nat dazzles the audience with his abilities. He even throws in a couple fun piano slides up and down the keys.
Nat King Cole scored massive hits with classic songs like ‘The Christmas Song,’ ‘Get Your Kicks on Route 66,’ ‘Mona Lisa,’ and ‘Orange Colored Sky.’ He also appeared in films and TV throughout the 50s and early 60s.
Nat King Cole is an American music legend. While he was typically known for singing, this unique performance on ‘Ed Sullivan’ captures his amazing music talents as a piano player.
