Ramsey Lewis and John Pizzarelli to Tribute Nat King Cole at The Blue Note, 1/12 & 13

Nat King Cole broke the pop barrier with his smoky, smooth vocals, stringing along a huge number of solid hits right after his first "Straighten Up And Fly Right" soared up the charts in 1943. As a singer, he was called "the best friend a song ever had," but he was essentially a jazz performer at heart. Even those later tracks crafted for the pop charts belie a piano technique, vocal phrasings, and on-the-mark orchestration that are indebted to his early roots in jazz. Ramsey Lewis and John Pizzarelli have crafted a tribute to the titan of fifties vocal pop, from his hits along with those singular tracks of sophisticated cool jazz that have influenced their own careers.

The concerts will take place today and Sunday, January 12-13, 8:00pm and 10:30pm at The Blue Note, 131 West 3rd Street, New York, NY. Tickets: $20-35.

Club Policies: Doors open at 6pm nightly. Reservations highly recommended - available online or by calling the club at (212) 475-8592. Reservations held no later than 30 minutes prior to showtime. Seating is first come, first served. We DO seat incomplete parties. American Express Preferred Seating available at www.bluenotejazz.com. Full dinner menu available and full bar with all premier liquors, domestic, and international beer available nightly. There is a $5 food/drink minimum per person, per set. No reservations are accepted for the bar - it is only available at the door, the night of the show.