Photo by Michael Brosilow
Unforgettable: John-Mark McGaha Sings Nat King Cole
Unforgettable: John-Mark McGaha Sings Nat King Cole
It’s been 57 years since Nathaniel Adams Coles, better known as Nat King Cole, passed, leaving us with a rich legacy of music for the American Songbook. Cole changed the course of jazz in the 20th century, and music in general. He was an international superstar, created the model for small jazz ensembles and most importantly, was a singer-songwriter-musician who broke racial barriers on many levels given his African-American heritage.
That rich legacy is honored and celebrated onstage with Unforgettable: John-Mark McGaha Sings Nat King Cole in the Milwaukee Rep’s Stackner Cabaret. For those who grew up on Cole’s music (count me in), this wonderful musical journey is less about nostalgia and more about showcasing multi-faceted talents of a man who faced many obstacles and overcame them with grace and dignity.
McGaha is accompanied by a very solid quartet: Chuck Larkin, piano; Ryan Bennett, drums; Jeff Hamann, bass; and Jesse Montijo, saxophone and flute. McGaha has a deep, powerful voice that pays tribute to, rather than copies from Cole’s smooth, velvety vocals, paying homage in his own style to so many amazing songs.
And even though it’s a one-man show, the musical arrangements took a star turn as well. The version of “Nature Boy” saw McGaha gently strum an electric guitar as if it was acoustic, singing about the real-life composer who wandered in nature, only wanting to love and be loved in return. Montijo’s flute interlude emphasized the haunting delicacy of the tune. Simply stunning.
Both Cole and McGaha played piano, underscoring McGaha’s own multi-faceted talents. His take on “St. Louis Blues,” the W.C. Handy song (and title track of the 1958 film loosely based on Handy’s life starring Cole) was another standout, reinforcing how Cole crossed over into many genres; jazz, blues, pop and beyond. And yet, there were so many more musical treasures played: “Route 66,” “(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons,” “Mona Lisa,” Smile,” When I Fall in Love,” and of course, “Unforgettable.”
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And even though it’s still a ways off to the holiday season, McGaha took to the ivories to remind us with the Mel Torme classic, “The Christmas Song” as green and red lighting appeared behind the band.
At song’s end, McGaha exclaimed, “Nat’s great in every season.”
Oh, so true. And timeless as well.
