Listen To Nat King Cole And Gregory Porter’s ‘The Girl From Ipanema’

The digital duet will be included on the ‘Ultimate Nat King Cole’ compilation, to be released on 15 March.

Published on

February 8, 2019

Modern-day jazz vocal star Gregory Porter’s digital duet with his hero, all-time great entertainer Nat King Cole, is released today (8). The new version of ‘The Girl From Ipanema’ will be included on the Ultimate Nat King Cole compilation, to be released on CD and digital formats on 15 March. A 2LP vinyl edition will follow on 14 June.

The Girl From Ipanema

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The new duet appears just ahead of Sunday’s 2019 Grammy Awards, at which Porter’s 2018 tribute set Nat King Cole and Me is nominated in two categories. It has been shortlisted for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, while six-time Grammy-winner Vince Mendoza is also shortlisted for Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals for his arrangement of Porter’s version of ‘Mona Lisa.’ Porter is already a two-time Grammy-winner, having won Best Jazz Vocal Album award for his previous Blue Note albums Liquid Spirit and Take Me To The Alley.

The compilation by Cole, born on 17 March 1919 in Montgomery, Alabama, will gather together a vast array of the globally adored signature hits by the unique vocalist and pianist. They include ‘Unforgettable,’ ‘Mona Lisa,’ ‘Nature Boy,’ ‘L-O-V-E,’ ‘The Very Thought Of You,’ ‘Stardust’ and ‘Straighten Up And Fly Right.’ Read uDiscover Music’s story of the latter song, and how it went on to inspire the African-American military pilots who fought in World War II.

15 March also sees the appearance on CD of International Nat King Cole, a limited edition CD containing 14 songs that Cole recorded in languages other than English at Capitol Studios in August 1964. They include French, German, Japanese, Spanish and Italian versions of ‘L-O-V-E’; ‘Muetterlein’ (‘Answer Me, My Love’) in German; and ‘Autumn Leaves’ in French and Japanese. Both compilations feature newly-written essays by the actor and award-winning writer James Ritz.

15 March also sees the CD release of International Nat King Cole, a limited edition disc of 14 songs recorded by Cole recorded in languages other than English; and Motown/UMe’s newly expanded edition of Marvin Gaye’s A Tribute To The Great Nat King Cole, first out in 1965, for download purchase and streaming.

Ultimate Nat King Cole is released on 15 March, and can be pre-ordered here.