Bobby Cole (musician)

Bobby Cole was born as Robert Kane Sarnicole in Astoria, New York on September 8, 1932, and grew up in the Ravenswood section of Queens. After service in the U.S. Army, he returned to New York to begin his career. Bobby worked originally with a group called the Bobby Cole Band composed of members of those musicians he knew from Astoria. Bobby worked for years with professional jazz drummer Tony Lupo.

Bobby usually worked as part of a trio; providing lead vocals and piano while working with a bassist and a drummer as well. The Bobby Cole Trio premiered in New York at The Living Room in New York in 1960. His friend, Frank Sinatra was under contract with Capitol at the time and through him, Cole was offered a deal at Capitol. Cole did not want to conform to the playlist demands of big record labels, or the compromises that producers wanted.

In 1960, Cole agreed to a record deal with Columbia Records on less restraining terms and the same year produced an album. The album was called NEW NEW NEW and featured a traditional jazz trio setup and traditional jazz arrangements, but it was Cole's youthful voice that had a smoky burr that made it extraordinary. One of Cole's trademark tunes, "The Lady's In Love With You", was on this album as well.

In early 1964, Bill Colleran, the executive producer for The Judy Garland Show, fired Mel Tormé and Cole was appointed as the musical arranger for the show. Judy Garland had recently met him in New York and allegedly a relationship had started between them. Later on, Garland called upon Cole to conduct the orchestra for her 1967 "Palace" concerts and the album that accompanied these concerts.

Cole eventually made a solo album in 1966. A Point of View was released through Concentric Records which was started by Cole's friend Jack Lonshein. Lonshein was working for Mainstream Records and was a friend of Cole's. Lonshein tried to get Bob Shad, the founder of Mainstream to release an album of Cole’s original material, but Shad failed to show interest. Frustrated by this setback, Lonshein started his own record label, Concentric Records, in 1966. When Cole’s A Point of View album was finally released on Concentric in 1967, it sold quite well in the New York City area, where he had earned a following mainly through his performances at Jilly's. The album was a remarkable disc of original songs that was an underground sensation for its brash, jazzy up-tunes and some dark ballads including the somber closer, "I'm Growing Old".

At about this time, after hearing author Jerry Jeff Walker play a yet-to-be recorded composition called "Mr. Bojangles", in a light, folk style at a Greenwich Village club, Cole decided to cover it as a contemplative ballad. A recording of the song was later released on Concentric in 1968. This would be the label’s only 7-inch release. Lonshein licensed the master to Date records as well for better distribution and it began to take off. Unfortunately, the single came out at exactly the same time as Jerry Jeff Walker’s version. Cole's single "Mr. Bojangles" was released in the summer of 1968 on Columbia Records. Cole and Walker's versions battled to a draw inside the Top 100. But it would be Cole's arrangement later used by everyone from Sammy Davis, Jr. to George Burns.

As both versions were slowly creeping up the charts in the summer of 1968, a frustrated Bob Shad, thinking he had missed out on an opportunity for a long-awaited hit, hypocritically chastised Lonshein for not releasing the single on Mainstream. Lonshein left Mainstream as a result of this incident and took a job at an all-night record store, awaking early each morning to produce tapes with Cole. Lonshein brought the tapes to the attention of his old friend Phil Picone who at the time was working for MGM. The label expressed some interest, but the contract was too strict for Cole.[1]

A skilled arranger and composer, he sometimes tried a change of pace. In April, 1970 he appeared at Caesars Palace in "The World of Jilly Rizzo," a "complete contemporary tone poem by Cole...performed by himself and five other musicians," including Leopoldo F. Fleming, percussionist, Arnold Wise, drums, John Cartwright, bass, John Blair, violin, and Renee Raff, vocals. Between 1973 and 1975 he toured Europe with the Louis Falco Dance Company. Ruggedly attractive, possessing an imposing Brando-like set of wry frowns and challenging smiles, Bobby was married and divorced several times. His trademark was his strong, jangling piano style (Erroll Garner being an influence) and his unique, rasping delivery which was evidence of his cigarette habit and the nearly forty years spent in smoky nightclubs.[2]

When Bobby turned up in 1992 for what would be a four-year tenure at Campagnola, the New York Times commented that he was the type of singer/pianist who could "create the kind of romantic aura generated in films like Casablanca".[3] As mentioned on the illfolks.blogspot.com, Bobby's rugged lifestyle included too much smoking and drinking, which was a factor in his death. On December 19, 1996, witnesses reported that Bobby, walking toward Campagnola, steadied himself on a lamppost and slowly sank to the sidewalk. He was transported to New York Hospital, still conscious, and died shortly after arrival. Cause of death was a heart attack. He did not die "a tragic death in the gutter," as has been erroneously reported.

• New New New: The Unique Sound of the Bobby Cole Trio (Columbia, 1960)
• A Point of View (Concentric, 1967)
• Mr. Bojangles (Columbia/Date, 1968)

• NY Times feature on Bobby Cole at the Versailles
• Posts about Bobby Cole on Ill Folks blog