Released in partnership with the Nat King Cole estate, Resonance Records’ HITTIN' THE RAMP: THE EARLY YEARS (1936-1943) is the first large-scale collection of the pivotal early recordings (1936-1943) of Nat’s 29-year recording career. Most tracks are receiving their first official release in this meticulously restored set of original live-to-disk recordings.

This definitive limited-edition 10LP collection draws upon a wide range of sources, including many newly-discovered tracks unearthed for the first time from archives located all over the world, such as “Trompin” (jukebox-only release for Cinematone, 1939), “What’cha Know Joe" (undocumented radio performance, 1940 -- now the earliest known recording of Nat "on the air"), “The Romany Room is Jumpin’” (private recording, 1941) and “Beautiful Moons Ago” (longer alternate take, 1943). Sessions include Nat at age 17, playing piano in his brother’s band in Chicago, 1936; the first King Cole Trio recordings from 1938, made for radio broadcast only, for Standard Transcriptions; further radio transcription sessions for Standard, Davis & Schwegler, Keystone, plus his first (uncredited) session for MacGregor, with vocalist Anita Boyer; the Ammor Records Session (Spring 1940 - the first commercial-release sessions for the trio), the Decca Recordings (1940-41), the small-label sessions for Excelsior and Premier labels (1943), many previously-uncirculated Armed Forces Radio performances, and, with producer Norman Granz at the helm, early jazz sessions with Lester Young (Granz historic, first session as a producer) and Dexter Gordon, originally released on Philo and Mercury, respectively.

Boasting an extensive 60+ page booklet with rare photographs; essays by acclaimed author Will Friedwald and guitarist Nick Rossi (with a special focus on Oscar Moore); plus interviews and testimonials from Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett, Quincy Jones, Harry Belafonte, John Pizzarelli, Freddy Cole, Michael Feinstein and many others.

Hittin' the Ramp features new remastering from original source disks transferred for this set from a number of personal collections and from the archives at University of California - Santa Barbara, The Institute for Jazz Studies at Rutgers University, the CU Boulder American Music Research Center, and the Library of Congress.

Celebrate Nat King Cole's centennial in 2019 with this definitive early years multi-disc box set. This is the origin story of a great artist just as he was just “hittin’ the ramp,” launching a distinctive style that would quickly become famous the world over.

Hittin The Ramp: The Early Years 1936-1943 (10 Vinyl LPs)

Track List

1. Side 1A (A)
2. Honey Hush
3. Stompin' at the Panama (Skoller's Shuffle)
4. Bedtime (Sleepy Moan)
5. Thunder
6. Mutiny in the Nursery
7. F.D.R Jones
8. The Sheik of Araby
9. The Blue Danube
10. Button Button
11. Side 1B (B)
12. Jingle Bells
13. Swannee River
14. With Plenty of Money and You
15. Don't Blame Me
16. Lullaby in Rhythm
17. Dark Rapture
18. The Wiggly Walk
19. Flea Hop
20. Chopsticks
21. Patty Cake Patty Cake
22. Side 2A (C)
23. Blue Skies
24. Liza
25. Three Blind Mice
26. Caravan
27. There's No Anesthetic for Love
28. Dixie Jamboree
29. Ta-De-Ah
30. Riffin' at the Bar-B-Q
31. Harlem Swing
32. I Lost Control of Myself
33. Side 2B (D)
34. The Land of Make Believe
35. That Please-Be-Mine-Able Feeling
36. Dancing in the Street
37. You're So Different
38. I Wouldn't Have Known It
39. Let's Get Happy
40. Undecided
41. 'Taint What You Do
42. Do You Wanna Jump Children?
43. Riffin' in F Minor
44. Side 3A (E)
45. Ol' Man Mose Ain't Dead
46. Blue Lou
47. Honey
48. Russian Lullaby
49. Georgie Porgie
50. The Limp
51. Snug As a Bug in a Rug
52. Liebestraum
53. Fidgety Joe
54. Side 3B (F)
55. Two Against One
56. Some Like It Hot
57. Crazy Rhythm
58. Moonglow
59. Don't Let That Moon Get Away
60. My Blue Heaven
61. I Was Doing Alright
62. I Can't Get Started
63. Old Man Moon
64. Carry Me Back to Old Virginny
65. Side 4A (G)
66. Moon Song
67. Baby Won't You Please Come Home
68. Rosetta
69. Trompin'
70. You're My Life
71. Hoy Soy
72. Take 'Em
73. Scategoria
74. Rhythm Serenade
75. Rib Town Shuffle
76. Side 4B (H)
77. Music'll Chase Your Blues Away
78. I'll Gather Up My Memories
79. A Fool's Affair
80. Jump Jack Jump
81. I Knew a Time
82. Mine You'll Always Be
83. Doin' the Bow Wow
84. Lilla Mae
85. Side 5A (I)
86. I Like to Riff
87. On the Sunny Side of the Street
88. Black Spider Stomp
89. By the River St. Marie
90. Slew Foot Joe
91. 1-2-3-4
92. Crazy 'Bout Rhythm
93. Off the Beam
94. King Cole Blues
95. Jivin' with the Notes
96. Never Mind Baby
97. Side 5B (J)
98. I'm a Perfect Fool Over You
99. Lovely Little Person
100. Love Me Sooner
101. Sentimental Blue
102. Goin' to Town with Honey
103. Syncopated Lullaby
104. Falling in and Out of Love
105. Let's Do Things
106. Jumpy Jitters
107. Nothing Ever Happens
108. What'cha Doin' to My Heart
109. Side 6A (K)
110. Bedtime
111. Honey Hush
112. French Toast
113. Vine Street Jump
114. B Flat
115. You Send Me
116. Love Is My Alibi
117. Pogo Stick Bounce
118. Whatcha' Know Joe?
119. Sweet Lorraine
120. Side 6B (L)
121. Honeysuckle Rose
122. Gone with the Draft
123. This Side Up
124. Jumpin' with the Mop
125. Jam Man
126. Let's Try Again
127. Fudge Wudge
128. Smokey Joe
129. Windy City Boogie Woogie
130. Ode to a Wild Clam
131. Side 7A (M)
132. Let's Try Again
133. Whatcha' Know Joe?
134. Lazy River
135. Georgia on My Mind
136. Rockin Chair
137. A Little Jive Is Good for You
138. You've Changed
139. Side 7B (N)
140. Babs
141. Scotchin' with the Soda
142. Slow Down
143. Early Morning Blues
144. The Romany Room Is Jumpin'
145. This Will Make You Laugh
146. Stop! the Red Light's on
147. Hit the Ramp
148. I Like to Riff
149. Side 8A (O)
150. Call the Police
151. Are You Fer It?
152. That Ain't Right
153. Hit That Jive Jack
154. Indiana
155. I Can't Get Started
156. Side 8B (P)
157. Tea for Two
158. Body and Soul
159. Vom Vim Veedle
160. All for You
161. Hip Hip Hooray
162. I Know That You Know
163. I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town
164. Side 9A (Q)
165. Pitchin' Up a Boogie
166. I'm Lost
167. Beautiful Moons Ago
168. Let's Spring One
169. Slender Tender and Tall
170. I've Found a New Baby
171. Rosetta
172. Side 9B (R)
173. Sweet Lorraine
174. I Blowed and Gone
175. Solid Potato Salad
176. F.S.T. (Fine Sweet ; Tasty)
177. Got a Penny
178. Let's Pretend
179. My Lips Remember Your Kisses
180. I'm An Errand Boy for Rhythm
181. Straighten Up and Fly Right
182. Side 10A (S)
183. Honey Hush
184. By the River St. Marie
185. I Like to Riff
186. Black Spider Stomp
187. Sweet Lorraine
188. Early Morning Blues
189. Gone with the Draft
190. Trompin'
191. Sweet Lorraine
192. Gone with the Draft
193. Side 10B (T)
194. Scotchin' with the Soda
195. Gone with the Draft
196. The Romany Room Is Jumpin'
197. Hit That Jive Jack
198. Beautiful Moons Ago
199. Honeysuckle Rose
200. I Know That You Know
201. Solid Potato Salad
202. My Lips Remember Your Kisses
203. Straighten Up and Fly Right

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