Natalie Cole (1950) stems from jazz royalty: her father was crooner Nat King Cole and her mother, Maria Cole, sang with Duke Ellington. In the seventies she started her own musical career as an R&B singer. A drug addiction put her career in danger, but Cole kicked the habit and returned in 1991 with a bang with the album Unforgettable… With Love. The album, including vocal interpretations of her father's greatest hits (and, thanks to modern technology, even a duet by father and daughter) was an instant success. Millions of copies were sold worldwide and the CD received seven Grammy Awards. Although it might have been an obvious move, it was an audacious one, too - who would dare to surpass Nat King Cole? His offspring has proved time and again she is more than able to do so and in the meantime has become an authority on the American Songbook. Not only will Cole perform during the festival weekend, but also at the North Sea Jazz Gala on Thursday night.
