Nat King Cole broke the pop barrier with his smoky, smooth vocals, stringing along a huge number of solid hits right after his first "Straighten Up And Fly Right" soared up the charts in 1943. As a singer, he was called "the best friend a song ever had," but he was essentially a jazz performer at heart. Ramsey Lewis and John Pizzarelli have crafted a tribute to the titan of '50s vocal pop, from his hits along with his singular tracks of sophisticated cool jazz that have influenced their own careers. Part of our Jazz Series.