Maybe I'm somewhat of an old soul, but I prefer older music to the stuff of today more often than not. So, the prospect of seeing a concert by one of my favorite singers (for the first time, no less) was very exciting. This particular concert was originally broadcast live on BBC in 1961, and in it, Nat 'King' Cole goes through a lot of favorites. By the same token, there were quite a few tunes I hadn't heard before, but I loved them all. Of course, it's a given and unchallengeable fact that Cole was a great singer, but in watching this program, I got to experience a little more. Not only does he have an amazingly silky voice, but also an easygoing stage presence, and is a consummate professional. He delivered 45 minutes of undiluted, pure entertainment with love and sincerity. There were also a few numbers where he got to play the piano, a side of his talent which I had been unaware of until now (although, in retrospect, it shouldn't have been a surprise since many entertainers of the era were multitalented in this regard). If there are any issues, and they are few and far between to be sure, it's that the second half isn't quite up to par with the first half, and courtesy of the camera-work, a cursory look at the audience serves as a reminder of how "white" they were. It's a shame that the audience couldn't have been more diverse, but alas, such were the times. As for the DVD quality, it looks fine for a 50-year-old TV production, although Image Entertainment probably could have a little more restorative work than just colorizing the picture. There were also no extra features to speak of. That being said, if you're as much of a fan of classic pop as I am, this DVD definitely belongs in your collection.
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