When the Nat “King” Cole Trio stepped into the newly formed Capitol Records Studios in Los Angeles, CA in 1943, they were the first artists signed for a label founded by composer/lyricist Johnny Mercer. The song on that November 30, 1943 session was composed by a young man named Bobby Troup who like Nat was a pianist/singer/composer. “Route 66" became a monster hit that year in spite of the ASCAP recording ban (only vocals were considered sufficient recording projects, hence this recording). This recording shows off the close knit group Nat had at that time and also serves as an example of just how much a great pianist he was at this time in his career: a fraction slower and more subdued and intellectual than Art Tatum but still full of enough refreshing ideas to make a world’s difference.