By CHERIE DONNELLAN
The relationship between African-American jazz legend Nat King Cole and daughter Natalie “fascinated” Victorian singer Martine Pavey.
So strong was her interest in the pair that Pavey told the Independent her new show, Stardust: The Story and Music of Natalie and Nat King Cole, would “recreate the music” of the two musicians’ lives.
The production will feature in Two Musical Mornings this month at Geelong Performing Arts Centre (GPAC), telling the stories of the Coles’ dramatic successes and downfalls.
The pair’s life journeys reveal stories of religious rebellion, hosting TV shows, winning Grammy awards, drug addiction, cancer, racism and family fallouts.
But Pavey said the drama was secondary to the “wonderful” music the Coles created.
“Nat and Natalie both gave us such a great cross-section of jazz and play and the fact is all those songs tell such great stories.”
Pavey laughed describing how Nat King Cole and his siblings forged careers in jazz despite their father being a “strict Baptist minister”.
As a teenager Cole was always “sneaking out of windows” and hiding in nightclub stairwells to hear jazz, Pavey said.
“Little stories and anecdotes” would enlighten audiences at the GPAC shows on 18 and 19 September.
Pavey said featured songs included Nat King Cole’s Straighten Up and Fly Right, which she considered lyrically “ridiculous but so joyous and silly”.
Natalie Cole’s “amazing” songs from her album Unforgettable…with Love were also included.
Pavey said she avoided attempting impersonations of the pair, instead just “telling their story my way, wearing beautiful gowns”.
Pianist Adrian Szondy, double-bassist Tom Lee and drummer Jack Bennett will back up Pavey’s vocals.
She predicted the Geelong audiences would love Szondy’s “beautiful” piano renditions “in the style of Nat King Cole”.
“It’s a wonderful spot in the middle of the show where Adrian just plays beautifully.” Pavey said.
