University News
Freddy Cole to Perform at WIU September 12
September 5, 2008
MACOMB, IL - - The Freddy Cole Quartet, sponsored by Western Illinois University's Bureau of Cultural Affairs (BCA), is scheduled to perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12 in Western's College of Fine Arts and Communication (COFAC) Recital Hall, located in Simpkins Hall, as part of Macomb's Seventh Annual Al Sears Jazz Festival.
Despite growing up in the shadow of his older brother, Nat King Cole, Freddy Cole is a recognized international recording artist who attended Juilliard School of Music and earned his master's degree at the New England Conservatory of Music.
Freddy's musical selections range from Broadway to blues, George Gershwin and Duke Ellington to Lionel Riche and Kenny Rogers. After finally gaining his acclaim in the 1990s, Freddy is best known as a jazz vocalist and pianist, but he also plays the guitar and upright bass, as did his older brother Nat. Another undeniable resemblance to Nat is his voice; however, Freddy's voice is raspier, smokier, and even jazzier than his brother's, which attests to the uniqueness of his voice, according to his website, freddycole.com.
"Freddy Cole is the most maturely expressive male jazz singer of his generation, if not the best alive," wrote a New York Times reviewer.
Tickets for this performance, $15 for the public and free for WIU students, are available at the Hanline Theatre Box Office, (309) 298-2900, between noon and 5 p.m. weekdays. Tickets may also be purchased at wiuartstickets.com. A service fee will be added to the price of each ticket at the time of purchase.
For more information, contact the BCA at (309) 298-3230.
Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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