The Jazz Foundation of Memphis tries something a little different this week. After using predominantly downtown venues (such as the New Daisy Theatre and Café Soul) for its ongoing World Class Jazz Series, the organization is moving east, partnering with the Germantown Performing Arts Centre to present a concert by jazz singer Freddy Cole. The septuagenarian Cole is the younger brother of the late Nat “King” Cole, with whom he shares a slight vocal resemblance and, in large part, a repertoire. (This week’s concert is being billed as “A Tribute to My Brother, Nat.”)
But while Cole’s legendary older brother veered from jazz to pop before his 1965 death, the younger brother is more of a straight-jazz artist, with a raspier, smokier voice that he applies equally well to pop standards, such as on his most recent release, Because of You, a tribute album to Tony Bennett. This Grammy nominee, whom The New York Times has called “one of the few male jazz singers these days who is still at the height of his powers and can be taken seriously,” will be performing with a guitar-bass-drums trio backing his own piano. He’ll also give a free clinic at GPAC at 2 p.m. the day of the show. For more information, call 725-1528 or go to MemphisJazz.org.
Freddy Cole 8 p.m. Saturday, August 26th, at the Germantown Performing Arts Centre, $27
