A Point of View is returning to release 55 years after its initial creation in 1967, fully authorized by the Estate of Bobby Cole. Produced for release by Grammy-winner Cheryl Pawelski and remastered by Grammy-winner Michael Graves, this new version presents the original release, plus 13 previously un-issued bonus tracks drawn from sessions likely intended for a follow-up release that didn’t happen. A fascinating essay from Grammy-nominated writer Randy Poe also tells the story of Cole, the scene, and the music.
CD and Digital release are set for April 15, 2022 from Omnivore Recordings, with a double-LP version slated for Fall of 2022.
Bobby Cole was Frank Sinatra’s “favorite saloon singer”, and playing around New York led to a recording contract with Columbia, however the 1960 release from the Bobby Cole Trio, while well reviewed, failed to gain traction. It featured no original material from Cole, and was essentially a recorded version of his saloon act.
In 1964, and after hearing Cole’s performance of one of her favorites, Cy Coleman’s “You Fascinate Me So,” Judy Garland invited the New York jazz singer to become the new musical arranger for CBS’s The Judy Garland Show in Los Angeles. When that show ended, Cole returned to New York and Jilly’s.
Jack Lonshein, whose day job was creating album covers for artists including Sarah Vaughan, Maynard Ferguson, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young (and eventually Big Brother & the Holding Company and The Amboy Dukes!), was a friend of Cole’s and eventually released A Point of View on Lonshein’s own Concentric Records, but fans had a hard time finding copies. The album had rave reviews, then disappeared. Artists including Freddy Cole (Nat’s brother) and Tom Jones all covered material from it.
