Stanford Jazz Festival

NICOLAS BEARDE: THE MUSIC OF NAT KING COLE

Personnel

Nicolas Bearde, vocals
Tod Dickow, saxophone
Glen Pearson, piano
Ruth Davies, bass
Akira Tana, drums

ABOUT NICOLAS BEARDE: THE MUSIC OF NAT KING COLE

“Bearde’s interpretations are as affecting as they are elegant.” —Jazz Times

“ . . . an inheritor of Cole’s cool.” —All About Jazz

The late, great Nat “King” Cole was one of the best song interpreters in the world. His velvety baritone always found the right note, rhythm, and — most importantly — emotion. That plus his unerring choice of material forged an indelible connection with music fans that continues to this day. Nicolas Bearde has inherited these same skills, and in this loving tribute, he and his blazing trio will simmer, cook, and burn as they dive deep into the best-loved tunes of Cole’s repertoire.

Nicolas’ stellar interpretive skills excel not only because of his phenomenal pedigree as a jazz singer, but also due to his considerable skills and experience as an actor. On the jazz side, you know Nicolas already from his 10 years of touring with Bobby McFerrin’s Voicestra, and also as a founding member of SoVoSò, the a capella supergroup formed when Bobby took a hiatus from touring. Encouraged to take up professional acting by Danny Glover, Nicolas’ list of screen and stage credits is more than impressive. You’ve likely seen him in some of the wide range of roles he’s had, including Final Analysis (with Richard Gere and Kim Basinger), True Crimes (with Clint Eastwood), and on television, roles on Nash Bridges and Monk.

With artistic experience like that combined with one-in-a-million natural talent, you can expect that Nicolas Bearde will take you to heights once inhabited only by the great Nat “King” Cole.

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