Tender memories of Nat King Cole

Within a few seconds of saying “hello” it is evident jazz singer Tenaj Williams, 24, is the ideal candidate to perform a two-hour tribute to the great Nat King Cole.

His speaking voice is soft and velvety, ideal to interpret the crooning legend’s silky, baritone that produced such classics as Mona Lisa and Nature Boy.

Williams headlines Unforgettable: The Music of Nat King Cole this Thursday at the Arden Theatre. Melissa Dorsey (bass), Jarrett Mayo (guitar), Dan Perrott (piano) and Brent Ingram (drums) round out the instruments.

Surprisingly, Williams admits to knowing very little about Cole before signing on with Ocean Entertainment to build and perform the show.

“At first when they asked me I had a panic attack. I thought they meant Louis Armstrong and I wasn’t sure I could do his voice. But I listened to a bunch of his (Cole) music and I realized I’d heard it before,” laughs Williams in a telephone interview from his Calgary home.

Born in the Bahamas, raised in the Turks and Caicos Islands, Williams immigrated to Canada when he was 15. A graduating student from Ambrose University’s business program, the singer is planning a future in the entertainment industry.

His resume to date is filled with solid, yet eclectic performances. In Storybook Theatre’s Shrek, Williams is the outrageous Donkey. Jubilations Theatre signed him on to a nine-month touring contract as a jock in Jump for Glee, and in The Ellipses Tree Collective’s The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God, he was transformed into a 78-year-old man.

But of all the roles he’s played, the African-American icon seems to be the most authentic.

“I was trained classically as a baritone for years and that lends itself to crooning. When I was in musical theatre I transitioned and Nat King Cole’s songs are very natural and within my range.

Producer Tony James, who put together a 12-part Canadian Legends series starting with Unforgettable, describes his young star as “very charismatic. He’s got a way with the music. He makes the music light. It is fluid. It is natural. He has great arrangements. He knows how to interact with an audience and he’s hungry. For someone in my position that’s great. I want to work with someone who will deliver.”

James, who also wears a second hat as general manager for Mile Zero Dance in Edmonton, is celebrating Ocean Entertainment’s 20th anniversary.

A self-described fan of jazz from the ’30s to the ’50s, James has spent the greater part of his life performing and providing platforms for artists.

James offered Williams a contract after he cast the Calgarian in a Kimberley, B.C. production of The Wizard of Oz.

“At first I wanted to do a six-part series with two singers in each show – like Nat King Cole and Louis Armstrong or Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. It was successful, but audiences wanted to see one singer, so I redid it. We’ve had some excellent singers such as Dee Daniels from New York, Jayme Armstrong now in Legally Blonde in Toronto and the amazing Denzal Sinclaire who was in the original Nat King Cole role.”

A bit of a hopeless romantic, Williams plans to talk about the great singer and how he personified that era of music.

“What impresses me the most was the adversity he faced and the racism he overcame. At the time he was groundbreaking. He was the first black man to have a television show. With all the obstacles he faced, I wonder if I would have continued my career.”

“I want to pay tribute to a man who deserves it and honour the work he did.”