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Park Forest-(ENEWSPF)- The Freddy Cole Quartet comes to Park Forest’s Freedom Hall on December 13 at 7:30 p.m. Recognized as one of the great practitioners of American Song, Freddy Cole, like his late elder brother Nat “King” Cole, is widely regarded as one of the most influential singers in jazz music. Growing up in a musical household, Freddy remembers, “music was all around me." Visitors of the Chicago home of his youth included greats such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Lionel Hampton. He credits Billy Eckstine as a major influence. "He was a fantastic entertainer," Freddy recalls.
Freddy Cole doesn’t apologize for sounding like his brother, Nat "King" Cole. There are certain unmistakable similarities. He plays piano, sings, and performs live with guitar and upright bass- just like Nat. Yet his voice is raspier, smokier, perhaps even jazzier. Freddy has emerged from the awesome shadow cast by his elder brother. His vocals—suave, elegant, formidable, and articulate—are among the most respected in jazz. Cole’s career continues to ascend as he’s moved into the front ranks of America’s homegrown art form, with a style and musical sophistication all his own.
“For all his warm appeal as vocalist, however, Cole proves still more enticing as pianist. When he plays bop-tinged right-hand lines, his tone is bigger and his ideas more succinct than one typically encounters in this kind of playing. And when Cole applies both fists to the keyboard, his chords are among the brawniest this side of McCoy Tyner…”
– Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune
“As a deep-voiced singer of jazz love songs he embodies a vanishing esthetic: he is one of the few male jazz singers these days who is still at the height of his powers and can be taken seriously….”
– Ben Ratliff, New York Times
Tickets are $28 and available by calling the Freedom Hall box office at 708-747-0580 or by going online at www.freedomhall.org. Freedom Hall is located at 410 Lakewood Boulevard, Park Forest, IL.
If you would like more information about the Freedom Hall Series, please call Chuck Sabey at 708/503-8258 or e-mail Chuck at[email protected]
