Lionel Frederick Cole (born October 15, 1931) is an American jazz singer and pianist, whose recording career has spanned over fifty years. He is leader of the Freddy Cole Quartet, which regularly tours the US, Europe, the Far East and South America.
He is the brother of musicians Nat King Cole and Ike Cole, father of Lionel Cole and uncle of Natalie Cole.
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Cole was born to Edward and Paulina Cole, and grew up in Chicago with siblings Eddie, Ike and Nat King Cole. He began playing piano at the age of six, and continued his musical education at the Roosevelt Institute in Chicago. He moved to New York in 1951, where he studied at the Juilliard School of Music, before completing a master’s degree at the New England Conservatory of Music.
Following the moderate success of Whispering Grass in 1953[1] Cole spent several months on the road with Johnny Coles and Benny Golson as the Earl Bostic band. He went on to work with Grover Washington, Jr. and to record jingles for various companies, including Turner Classic Movies[2]
During the 1970s, Cole recorded several albums for European and English based labels. He was the subject of the 2006 documentary The Cole Nobody Knows. In June of that year, Cole was added to the Steinway Artist roster.[3]
Cole was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 2007.[4] In July 2009, he released a recording featuring his own quartet (guitarist Randy Napoleon, drummer Curtis Boyd, and bassist Elias Bailey), along with alto saxophonist Jerry Weldon and pianist John DiMartino, playing live at Dizzy's jazz club in Lincoln Center. His 2010 album, Freddy Cole Sings Mr. B, was nominated for the Grammy in the category Best Vocal Jazz Album. The album features tenor Houston Person, pianist John DiMartino, guitarist/arranger Randy Napoleon, drummer Curtis Boyd, and bassist Elias Bailey.
Cole's influences included John Lewis, Oscar Peterson, Teddy Wilson and Billy Eckstine. When speaking of Eckstine, Cole recalled, "He was a fantastic entertainer. I learned so much from just watching and being around him."[5]
2010 Freddy Cole Sings Mr. B (Grammy-nominated)
2009 The Dreamer in Me: Live at Dizzy's Club
2007 Music Maestro Please
2006 Because of You
2005 This Love of Mine
2004 Waiter, Ask the Man to Play the Blues, re-mastered
2004 I'm Not My Brother, I'm Me, re-release
2003 In the Name of Love
2001 Rio de Janeiro Blue
2000 Merry-Go-Round
2000 This Is the Life
1999 Le Grand Freddy: Freddy Cole Sings The Music Of Michel Legrand
1998 Love Makes the Changes
1997 To the Ends of the Earth
1997 It's Crazy, But I'm in Love
1996 Live at Vartan Jazz
1995 Always
1994 I Want a Smile for Christmas
1993 A Circle of Love
1992 Live at Birdland West
1990 I'm Not My Brother, I'm Me
1978 One More Love Song
1977 The Cole Nobody Knows
1976 The Way Freddy Cole Sings
1964 Waiter, Ask the Man to Play the Blues
1953 Whispering Grass
1952 The Joke's on Me