Nat King Cole’s “After Midnight: The Complete Sessions” (Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Series) to be Reissued on Nov. 13th, 2026
NAT KING COLE’S JAZZ VOCAL MASTERPIECE
AFTER MIDNIGHT: THE COMPLETE SESSIONS
OUT NOV. 13 IN BLUE NOTE’S TONE POET VINYL SERIES
MARKING THE ALBUM’S 70th ANNIVERSARY
1956 CAPITOL RECORDS CLASSIC GETS DEFINITIVE EXPANDED 2-LP AUDIOPHILE REISSUE
PRODUCED FOR RELEASE BY JOE HARLEY WITH ALL-ANALOG MASTERING BY KEVIN GRAY
CUT DIRECTLY FROM THE ORIGINAL PHONO REELS
Nat King Cole’s jazz vocal masterpiece gets a definitive presentation with the release of After Midnight: The Complete Sessions, which will be reissued on November 13 in Blue Note’s acclaimed Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Series marking the album’s 70th anniversary. The expanded 2-LP set comprises the full recordings that the legendary singer and pianist made over four sessions at Capitol Studios in August-September 1956 with his trio of John Collins on guitar, Charlie Harris on bass, and Lee Young on drums plus featured guest soloists Willie Smith on alto saxophone, Harry “Sweets” Edison on trumpet, Stuff Smith on violin, and Juan Tizol on valve trombone, as well as Jack Costanza on percussion.
After Midnight managed to assimilate several elements of Cole’s unique genius into a single sublime statement showcasing his suave vocals and exquisite pianism while channeling the elegant swing of his beloved Trio into a loose, relaxed jam session with several leading lights of the jazz world. Produced for release by Joe Harley, the new Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog phono reels, pressed on 180g vinyl at Record Technology Inc. (RTI), and comes packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket accompanied by a booklet featuring an enlightening in-depth essay by esteemed writer Will Friedwald, author of the definitive Cole biography Straighten Up And Fly Right, along with rare archival photos.
“In the Trio, the interplay was the thing. Cole himself was keenly aware of this, which is one reason why he made the 1956 album sessions deliberately different from the earlier singles,” writes Friedwald. “Cole’s piano playing itself is just as good on After Midnight but the strength of the album is that he’s playing and singing like a man on a lark—just out to enjoy himself—rather than a man whose life’s mission was to raise the bar for the possibilities of small ensemble playing. Cole was smart enough to realize that recreating the Trio would have been a patently meaningless exercise: the times were different, Cole himself was no longer the same artist he had been, the musicians were different, and the recording medium itself had changed. Yet on its own, and in the context of Cole’s later work, After Midnight is a masterpiece, one of the great jazz vocal albums of all time, completely deserving of its classic status and influence on subsequent generations.”
LP 1
Side 1
Just You, Just Me
Sweet Lorraine
Sometimes I’m Happy
Caravan
It’s Only A Paper Moon
Side 2
You’re Looking At Me
Lonely One
Don’t Let It Go To Your Head
I Know That You Know
Blame It On My Youth
LP 2
Side 3
When I Grow Too Old To Dream
(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66
I Was A Little Too Lonely
You Can Depend On Me
Side 4
What Is There To Say
Two Loves Have I
Candy
You’re Looking At Me (alternate take)
Blue Note Records