Jazz Lines Publications Presents unforgettable As recorded by nat ‘king’ cole

Arranged by nelson riddle

prepared by rob duboff and jeffrey sultanof

full score from the original manuscript

jlp-9534

Words and Music by Irving Gordon

Copyright © 1951 by Unforgettable Standards. Copyright Renewed This arrangement Copyright © 2019 by Unforgettable Standards All Rights in the United States, its possessions and territories Administered by Songs of Peer, Ltd. All Rights outside the U.S. Administered by Bourne Co. International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted by Permission of Hal Leonard LLC

Published by the Jazz Lines Foundation Inc., a not-for-profit jazz research organization dedicated to preserving and promoting America’s musical heritage.

The Jazz Lines Foundation Inc. PO Box 1236 Saratoga Springs NY 12866 USA  nat ‘king’ cole series  unforgettable (1951)

Background: One of the most endearing entertainers of the 20th century, Nat ‘King’ Cole’s unmistakeable voice and perennially underrated piano playing make him a true giant of American popular music. Born in Alabama in 1919, Cole was surrounded by music from an early age. He began formal studies on piano at age 12, absorbing influences from the worlds of classical, jazz and gospel music along the way.

Moving to Los Angeles in the late 1930s, Cole formed his most famous trio with guitarist Oscar Moore and bassist Wesley Prince. His profile as a top-tier jazz pianist was well established by the early 1940s; he had been a regular at the early Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts, and had worked as a sideman for such notables as Lester Young and Lionel Hampton.

Initially focusing mostly on light instrumental versions of popular songs, Cole’s career began to gain greater popular attention when he began occasionally singing with his trio during live performances. His first hit recording as a vocalist came with 1943’s Straighten Up and Fly Right. This resulted in a dramatic shift in Cole’s musical life, as he now began to focus more exclusively on his singing. Several hit records over the course of the 1940s cemented his reputation as one of America’s most popular vocalists.

In addition to a continuation of his string of hits, the 1950s saw Cole break a color barrier in the world of popular entertainment by becoming the first African-American host of a television variety show, appropriately calledThe Nat ‘King’ Cole Show. Although the program only lasted a year, it was a groundbreaking achievement in the entertainment industry. It was around this time that Cole became more involved in politics, eventually working with presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson on issues regarding civil rights.

A longtime heavy smoker, Cole contracted lung cancer and would pass away from the disease in 1965. He left behind a lengthy list of iconic hit songs that continue to remain frequently heard to this day. His daughter, the late Natalie Cole, would go on to have a highly successful career in pop music herself, with one of her most memorable performances coming from an overdubbed “duet” with her father on his 1951 recording Unforgettable.

The Music: Here is one of the most famous arrangements (and recordings) in pop music history. Nat King Cole’s 1951 recording of the Irving Gordon song Unforgettable (arrangement by Nelson Riddle) was a huge hit for the pianist/singer. Cole’s daughter Natalie edited and re- mixed the song in 1991 to include her own vocals. This loving tribute to her dad became a worldwide hit. In the year 2000 the original Nat Cole recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

The recorded version of the arrangement begins with a George Shearing style intro featuring guitar, piano, and celeste. The original Riddle pencil score (dated August 15, 1951) featured a 6-bar, very mysterious sounding introduction. A facsimile of this page of the score is shown to the right. However, the recorded intro has been fully transcribed and included in this publication.

After one chorus of vocal the arrangement modulates to the key of Gb for a 16-bar instrumental interlude. For this section, Riddle had fully written out the piano voicings, which have been included. The vocal re-enters as the arrangement shifts back to the original key of Bb.

This publication has been prepared using the original Nelson Riddle pencil score with the exception of the introduction which was transcribed from the 1951 recording.

Doug DuBoff and Rob DuBoff - December 2019

 Here is the first page of Nelson Riddle’s pencil score forUnforgettable , arranged in 1951. Notice the original, unrecorded introduction. . jLp-9534 Jazz lines PubLications UnforgettabLe recorded by Nat 'king' cole Words and Music by Irving Gordon Score Arranged By Nelson Riddle Prepared by Rob DuBoff and Jeffrey Sultanof slowly  = 80   Vocal          Violin I       

  Violin II       

  Viola       

       Cello  

       

Harp En Fn Gn An  Dn Cn Bn      

  Guitar                             P                               Celeste P       

                                                                    Piano P                                   Bass                  3 3 Brushes  P Drum Set  œœœ œœœ  œ y œ y ’’’’’’ ’ ’ ’’’’ P 2 3 4 Copyright © 1951 by Unforgettable Standards. Copyright Renewed This arrangement Copyright © 2019 by Unforgettable Standards All Rights in the United States, its possessions and territories Administered by Songs of Peer, Ltd. All Rights outside the U.S. Administered by Bourne Co. International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted by Permission of Hal Leonard LLC Jazz lines PubLications UnforgettabLe jLp-9534 Score - Page 2

[5] 3    Vox.             Un--- for get ta -ble, that's what you are,

unis. 7                        Vln. I      @ @ @ @  @ @ @ @ pp P F unis. 7                Vln. II    @ @ @ @       @ @ @ @  P F pp unis. div.    Vla.        pp div.         Vc.     pp b F<7 F6 A 7/G  Gtr.    ’’ ’’’ ’ ’’’’ ’’ ’’ pp        

Cel.      

     ’’ ’’’ ’ ’’’’ ’’ ’’ p b Pno. F<7 F6 A 7/G                   b F<7 A 7/G            Bs.         p (4) D. S. œ  œ ’’ ’ ’’’ ’ ’’’’ ’’ ’’ 5 pp 6 7 8