Styles: Club Blues and Jazz: Listening Guide: Nat King Cole "Sweet Lorraine"
| "Sweet Lorraine" Nat King Cole Trio (piano, guitar, bass) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | Pianist plays the first two bars and the bassist joins for the last two bars. (The guitarist starts at the first A). | [00:00-00:10] 00:10 |
| First A (of the AABA form) | Nat Cole sings verse one: "Now I...." | [00:10-00:33] 00:23 |
| Second A (of the AABA form) | Nat Cole sings verse two: "She's got...." | [00:33-00:56] 00:23 |
| B (of the AABA form) | Nat Cole sings verse three: "Now when...." | [00:56-01:19] 00:23 |
| Third A (of the AABA form) | Nat Cole sings verse four: "Each night...." | [01:19-01:42] 00:23 |
| Repeat First A (of the AABA form) | Guitar solo. | [01:42-02:05] 00:23 |
| Repeat Second A (of the AABA form) | Piano solo. | [02:05-02:29] 00:23 |
| Repeat B (of the AABA form) | Nat Cole sings verse three again: "Now when...." | 02:29-02:52] 00:23 |
| Repeat Third A (of the AABA form) | Nat Cole sings verse four again: "Each night...." | [02:52-03:15] 00:23 |
Whatever the repertoire, tempos were slow, brushes were used on the drums, the bass player tended to reinforce beats one and three, and all players operated with tasteful jazz-inflected understatement. The piano style tended to be boogie-derived, featuring many high-end fills. Vocalists in this style sung in a clear, relaxed, lightly ornamented style and managed to project an air of pathos and melancholia even when singing lyrics as endearing as Brown's "Merry Christmas Baby." Club blues vocalists foregrounded lyrics and at all times projected a debonair aura that viewers enthusiastically welcomed.
Sh-Boom
Oh, life could be a dream
(Sh-boom)
If I could take you up in paradise up above
(Sh-boom)
If you would tell me I'm the only one that you love
Life could be a dream, sweetheart
Sweet Lorraine
Just found joy
I'm as happy as a baby boy,
baby boy
With another brand new
choo-choo choy
When I met my sweet Lorraine, Lorraine, Lorraine