“A Freddy Cole Christmas” Legendary three-time Grammy® nominated vocalist & pianist unwraps your favorite holiday gems in an unforgettable Christmas show! Reminiscent of the holiday programs which his famed brother, Nat "King" Cole, performed on tour and television, Freddy recreates that warm, nostalgic spirit for the whole family to enjoy! Featuring Freddy Cole, Dan Wilson, Elias Bailey, & Quentin Baxter.

Lionel Frederick Cole was born the youngest of Edward and Paulina Nancy Cole’s five children. His three elder brothers, Eddie, Ike and Nat (twelve years Freddy’s senior) were all musicians taught by their mother. Though Freddy was born in Chicago, he is now a 35-year native son and international celebrity of Atlanta.
 
“I started playing piano at five or six,” Freddy recalls. “Music was all around me.” In the Chicago home of his youth, visitors included Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Lionel Hampton. He also credits Billy Eckstine as a major influence. “He was a fantastic entertainer,” Freddy recalls. “I learned so much from just watching and being around him.” After a possible career with the NFL was shelved due to a severe football related hand injury, he began playing and singing in Chicago clubs as a teenager. Although he was ready to hit the road at 18, his mother intervened and he continued his musical education at the Roosevelt Institute in Chicago.
 

“Gorgeous autumnal baritone, expressive phrasing and pitch-perfect feel for jazz standards,pop tunes and love ballads…”
– People Magazine

 
Freddy moved to New York in 1951, where he studied at the Juilliard School of Music and found himself profoundly influenced by John Lewis, Oscar Peterson and Teddy Wilson. He got a Master’s degree at the New England Conservatory of Music and then spent several months on the road as a member of Earl Bostic’s band that also included Johnny Coles and Benny Golson.
 
It was back in New York that Freddy successfully laid the groundwork for a career that continues to flourish to this day. He developed a vast repertoire of songs in Manhattan bistros and concurrently began to supplement his live performances with television and radio commercial work.
 
Freddy recorded several albums for European and English companies during the 1970s that helped him develop a loyal overseas following. Cole believes that becoming an international favorite made him “widen my scope a little bit.” He developed a stand-up act, a better rapport with audiences, and learned to sing in other languages. “It made me much more a performer.”
 
A resident of Atlanta since 1972, he currently leads a quartet on piano and vocals with guitarist Randy Napoleon, bassist Elias Bailey, and drummer Quentin Baxter, that regularly tours the US, Europe, the Far East, South America and South Africa. Freddy has been a recording artist since 1952, when his first single, “The Joke’s on Me,” was released on an obscure Chicago-based label.
 

“Above all else, Cole remains the master of the jazz ballad. He lets the song breathe between words, sometime syllables and savors each word. The delivery is not just impeccable but profound…”
– JazzTimes Magazine

 
While there are certain unmistakable similarities in timbre to his brother Nat, his voice is raspier, smokier, jazzier even. In truth, his phrasing is far closer to that of Frank Sinatra or Billie Holiday than that of his brother, and his timing swings even more. His vocals – suave, elegant, formidable, sometimes spoken and articulate – make him the most respected lyrical storyteller in jazz. Cole’s career continues to ascend as he has moved into the front ranks of America’s homegrown art form with a style and musical sophistication all his own.
 
This is going to be a very special & intimate one-night-only celebration as Freddy sings and plays all the holiday classics including “The Christmas Song,” “White Christmas, ” Jingle Bells” and more, so bring the kids and the grandparents for a holiday show that the whole family can enjoy – get your tickets today!
 
(photo by Clay Walker)

$25