Still Unforgettable (CD)

Daughter of mid-century iconic crooner, Nat King Cole, Natalie ushered in the era of the "mashup" in 1991 by superimposing her late father's voice on her own recording of his classic "Unforgettable." The experiment, which served as the centerpiece of her album of standards, Unforgettable: With Love, proved to be a raging success. With sales topping five million, Natalie's career shifted into overdrive. Once a struggling R&B singer, she'd found her niche by invoking the essence of her extremely talented father.

Now, some 15 years later, Cole has returned to the well for Still Unforgettable, and the results are exactly as the album title promises. The first track again finds her paired with dear ol' dad on another of his great classics, "Walkin' My Baby Back Home." Easy harmonies and swaying, sumptuous unison vocals between the two create the same magic as they did the first time around. Who says lightening doesn't strike twice?

The rest of the album is Natalie on her own, showing off what she learned from the old man. From the post-modulation "scat" on "Come Rain Or Come Shine" to her haunting interpretation of Johnny Burke's exquisite lyrics on "But Beautiful," Cole shows that she didn't exactly just lick this stuff off the ground. Her breathy, oddly alluring delivery on "Coffee Time" (suggested for inclusion by the legendary Tony Bennett) demonstrates her flexibility, as does the swaggering, contemporary-sounding intro to "The Best Is Yet To Come." But it's when Cole fully embraces the traditions of her father's era that she really shines. "You Go to My Head" is the aural equivalent of a vodka martini, shaken, not stirred, and her turn on "Why Don't You Do Right?" would make Peggy Lee herself stand up and cheer.

Throw in some dazzling orchestral crescendos and swelling violin intros, and you've got a platter that can hold its own with the elder Cole's classic Capitol recordings. I imagine pops would be very proud.