Nat King Cole – Hittin The Ramp: The Early Years 1936-1943

Released in partnership with the Nat King Cole estate, Resonance Records’ HITTIN' THE RAMP: THE EARLY YEARS (1936-1943) is the first large-scale collection of the pivotal early recordings (1936-1943) of Nat’s 29-year recording career. Most tracks are receiving their first official release in this meticulously restored set of original live-to-disk recordings.

This definitive limited-edition 10LP collection draws upon a wide range of sources, including many newly-discovered tracks unearthed for the first time from archives located all over the world, such as “Trompin” (jukebox-only release for Cinematone, 1939), “What’cha Know Joe (undocumented radio performance, 1940 -- now the earliest known recording of Nat "on the air"), “The Romany Room is Jumpin’” (private recording, 1941) and “Beautiful Moons Ago” (longer alternate take, 1943). Sessions include Nat at age 17, playing piano in his brother’s band in Chicago, 1936; the first King Cole Trio recordings from 1938, made for radio broadcast only, for Standard Transcriptions; further radio transcription sessions for Standard, Davis & Schwegler, Keystone, plus his first (uncredited) session for MacGregor, with vocalist Anita Boyer; the Ammor Records Session (Spring 1940 - the first commercial-release sessions for the trio), the Decca Recordings (1940-41), the small-label sessions for Excelsior and Premier labels (1943), many previously-uncirculated Armed Forces Radio performances, and, with producer Norman Granz at the helm, early jazz sessions with Lester Young (Granz historic, first session as a producer) and Dexter Gordon, originally released on Philo and Mercury, respectively.

Boasting an extensive 60+ page booklet with rare photographs; essays by acclaimed author Will Friedwald and guitarist Nick Rossi (with a special focus on Oscar Moore); plus interviews and testimonials from Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett, Quincy Jones, Harry Belafonte, John Pizzarelli, Freddy Cole, Michael Feinstein and many others.

Hittin' the Ramp features new remastering from original source disks transferred for this set from a number of personal collections and from the archives at University of California - Santa Barbara, The Institute for Jazz Studies at Rutgers University, the CU Boulder American Music Research Center, and the Library of Congress.

Celebrate Nat King Cole's centennial in 2019 with this definitive early years multi-disc box set. This is the origin story of a great artist just as he was just “hittin’ the ramp,” launching a distinctive style that would quickly become famous the world over.

Hittin The Ramp: The Early Years 1936-1943 (10 Vinyl LPs)

Disc 1

1. Honey Hush
2. Stompin' at the Panama (Skoller's Shuffle)
3. Bedtime (Sleepy Moan)
4. Thunder
5. Mutiny in the Nursery
6. F.D.R Jones
7. The Sheik of Araby
8. The Blue Danube
9. Button, Button
10. Jingle Bells
11. Swannee River
12. With Plenty of Money and You
13. Don't Blame Me
14. Lullaby in Rhythm
15. Dark Rapture
16. The Wiggly Walk
17. Flea Hop
18. Chopsticks
19. Patty Cake, Patty Cake

Disc 2

1. Blue Skies
2. Liza
3. Three Blind Mice
4. Caravan
5. There's No Anesthetic for Love
6. Dixie Jamboree
7. Ta-De-Ah
8. Riffin' at the Bar-B-Q
9. Harlem Swing
10. I Lost Control of Myself
11. The Land of Make Believe
12. That Please-Be-Mine-Able Feeling
13. Dancing in the Street
14. You're So Different
15. I Wouldn't Have Known It
16. Let's Get Happy
17. Undecided
18. 'Taint What You Do
19. Do You Wanna Jump, Children?
20. Riffin' in F Minor

Disc 3

1. Ol' Man Mose Ain't Dead
2. Blue Lou
3. Honey
4. Russian Lullaby
5. Georgie Porgie
6. The Limp
7. Snug As a Bug in a Rug
8. Liebestraum
9. Fidgety Joe
10. Two Against One
11. Some Like It Hot
12. Crazy Rhythm
13. Moonglow
14. Don't Let That Moon Get Away
15. My Blue Heaven
16. I Was Doing Alright
17. I Can't Get Started
18. Old Man Moon
19. Carry Me Back to Old Virginny

Disc 4

1. Moon Song
2. Baby, Won't You Please Come Home
3. Rosetta
4. Trompin'
5. You're My Life
6. Hoy Soy
7. Take 'Em
8. Scategoria
9. Rhythm Serenade
10. Rib Town Shuffle
11. Music'll Chase Your Blues Away
12. I'll Gather Up My Memories
13. A Fool's Affair
14. Jump, Jack, Jump
15. I Knew a Time
16. Mine You'll Always Be
17. Doin' the Bow Wow
18. Lilla Mae

Disc 5

1. I Like to Riff
2. On the Sunny Side of the Street
3. Black Spider Stomp
4. By the River St. Marie
5. Slew Foot Joe
6. 1-2-3-4
7. Crazy 'Bout Rhythm
8. Off the Beam
9. King Cole Blues
10. Jivin' with the Notes
11. Never Mind, Baby
12. I'm a Perfect Fool Over You
13. Lovely Little Person
14. Love Me Sooner
15. Sentimental Blue
16. Goin' to Town with Honey
17. Syncopated Lullaby
18. Falling in and Out of Love
19. Let's Do Things
20. Jumpy Jitters
21. Nothing Ever Happens
22. What'cha Doin' to My Heart

Disc 6

1. Bedtime
2. Honey Hush
3. French Toast
4. Vine Street Jump
5. B Flat
6. You Send Me
7. Love Is My Alibi
8. Pogo Stick Bounce
9. Whatcha' Know, Joe?
10. Sweet Lorraine
11. Honeysuckle Rose
12. Gone with the Draft
13. This Side Up
14. Jumpin' with the Mop
15. Jam Man
16. Let's Try Again
17. Fudge Wudge
18. Smokey Joe
19. Windy City Boogie Woogie
20. Ode to a Wild Clam

Disc 7

1. Let's Try Again
2. Whatcha' Know, Joe?
3. Lazy River
4. Georgia on My Mind
5. Rockin Chair
6. A Little Jive Is Good for You
7. You've Changed
8. Babs
9. Scotchin' with the Soda
10. Slow Down
11. Early Morning Blues
12. The Romany Room Is Jumpin'
13. This Will Make You Laugh
14. Stop! the Red Light's on
15. Hit the Ramp
16. I Like to Riff

Disc 8

1. Call the Police
2. Are You Fer It?
3. That Ain't Right
4. Hit That Jive, Jack
5. Indiana
6. I Can't Get Started
7. Tea for Two
8. Body and Soul
9. Vom, Vim, Veedle
10. All for You
11. Hip, Hip, Hooray
12. I Know That You Know
13. I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town

Disc 9

1. Pitchin' Up a Boogie
2. I'm Lost
3. Beautiful Moons Ago
4. Let's Spring One
5. Slender, Tender, and Tall
6. I've Found a New Baby
7. Rosetta
8. Sweet Lorraine
9. I Blowed and Gone
10. Solid Potato Salad
11. F.S.T. (Fine, Sweet ; Tasty)
12. Got a Penny
13. Let's Pretend
14. My Lips Remember Your Kisses
15. I'm An Errand Boy for Rhythm
16. Straighten Up and Fly Right

Disc 10

1. Honey Hush
2. By the River St. Marie
3. I Like to Riff
4. Black Spider Stomp
5. Sweet Lorraine
6. Early Morning Blues
7. Gone with the Draft
8. Trompin'
9. Sweet Lorraine
10. Gone with the Draft
11. Scotchin' with the Soda
12. Gone with the Draft
13. The Romany Room Is Jumpin'
14. Hit That Jive, Jack
15. Beautiful Moons Ago
16. Honeysuckle Rose
17. I Know That You Know
18. Solid Potato Salad
19. My Lips Remember Your Kisses
20. Straighten Up and Fly Right

Label: Resonance Records

Catalog: 9042

Genre: Jazz