Nat King Cole Re: Generations Is Adventurous Not Blasphemous

So not only is today St. Patrick's Day, but it's also what would have been Nat King Cole's 90th birthday. Last week, a unique music compilation came out pairing the legendary crooner's music with that of contemporary artists like Brazilian Girls, Cee-Lo, Nas, and TV on the Radio. It's a slightly controversial concept dreamed up and curated by his daughter Carole Cole, and while it was initially met with some scorn by purists, I've been listening to the project for the past two weeks straight and absolutely love it.

I can say that as both a fan of his original material and a fan of the newer artists on the album. Songs like, "Straighten Up and Fly Right" featuring Natalie Cole and will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas is a good example of a tune that seems like it would be easy to ruin by letting will.i.am anywhere near it. He's got a knack for making cheesy pop unbearable at times but their duet of the song mixed in with the original vocals from 1943 sounds good. Other jams like "Calypso Blues" featuring Damien and Stephen Marley and "Anytime Anyday Anywhere" produced by Detroiter Amp Fiddler are two of my favorites. I definitely recommend buying the album. After the jump, check out a video on how the whole project came together.