The Greatest Hits [Capitol]
You could fill box set after box set with Nat "King" Cole's work--and those are certainly out there--and never hit a less-than-stellar note. But for the creme de la creme, it'd be hard to fault this career-spanning, 22-song retrospective. From the swinging jump blues of "Straighten Up and Fly Right" to the easy lope of his definitive "Route 66" to the lush balladry of "Mona Lisa," every facet of the great singer-pianist's is explored. Bookended by Cole's original version of "Unforgettable" and his posthumous duet with daughter Natalie, this collection provides an ideal introduction to--or a stirring reminder of--Nat "King" Cole's legacy.--David Sprague