Following the deserved success of its deluxe 2019 Nat King Cole boxed set Hittin’ the Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943), the LA-based independent jazz label Resonance Records has now released this ‘Best of the Box’ compilation, curated by the writer, historian and album co-producer Will Friedwald. Produced in conjunction with the musician's estate, the compilation presents 21 of the previously unreleased studio sides, transcriptions and private recordings from the parent 7CD/10LP set.

Opening with the dazzlingly virtuosic ‘With Plenty of Money and You’, other highlights include a memorable version of a song especially associated with Cole, ‘Sweet Lorraine’, featuring Red Callender on bass, the motoric energy of ‘Hit That Jive, Jack’, a live recording of ‘I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town’, plus ‘This Side Up’, which wasn't included in the box set and which makes its debut here.

On tracks such as ‘Black Spider Stomp’, the collection also serves as a powerful reminder of what an outstandingly good guitarist Oscar Moore was – a member of the Cole trio for 10 years and a DownBeat poll winner on more than one occasion in the 1940s. Documenting the six-year period before he signed to Capitol Records and achieved worldwide success as a pop singer, the collection showcases the diversity of Cole's early career as one of the great jazz pianists and bandleaders.