Ike Cole • I’d Know You Anywhere

Nat King Cole (1919-65) had such success, first as an influential jazz pianist and then as a ballad singer, that he completely overshadowed the careers of his brothers, each of whom were also singer-pianists. His youngest brother, Freddy Cole (1931-2020), only recorded one album before 1976 although he had an active career during his last four decades. The name of his 1990 CD I’m Not My Brother, I’m Me pointed out the difficulties encountered by each of the siblings. Eddie Cole (1910-70), who was nine years older than Nat, began as a bassist and used Nat on his first record date in 1936. He switched to piano and made some recordings with his wife singer-pianist Betty Cole (as the Two Hot Coles) in the 1950s but failed to create a lasting impression. And then there was Ike Cole (1927-2001), the least known of the Coles. In the 1950s, he led a trio in Chicago. He recorded two obscure albums (Get A Load O’Cole and Ike Cole Sings) for the Bally and Promenade labels during 1957-58, a tribute to his recently deceased brother in 1966 for the Dee Gee label, and three other albums during 1967-72. He remained active into the early 1990s, playing keyboards on his niece Natalie Cole’s Unforgettable album and sometimes appearing on television. But at this point in time, few Nat King Cole fans remember him. Producer Alan Eicher has reissued Cole’s first two albums plus six singles on th