'It's coming back to me – gosh, yes, I do recall.”
Why do people scratch their heads when trying to remember? Even if it was nearly 70 years ago? But the point is Niel Randrup did play FOR, and did play WITH, the legendary Nat King Cole.
'I played saxophone in the backing band for his Auckland concert. And I recall playing golf with the man at Akarana in Auckland.," says Neil.
In doing so, they made sweet music and broke through a racial barrier. And 'the voice” was just so happy.
Now that's a story worth hearing.
Cole was a superstar decades before the word was even invented. And there was our Niel, Tauranga saxophonist and golfer, jamming and driving with Cole one January day back in 1955.
But first, fast-forward to last week, and Niel Randrup was shuffling down his hallway, and flitting up a scale on his old flute as he goes.
'Dear oh dear, I can't get high C.”
High C is deemed a true test of a singer's ability. Today it's testing Niel Randrup. But we'll cut him some slack because he is 102 years old.
'It doesn't work. My wife will be horrified,” he explains.
His wife, the late Pat McMinn – singer and dancer of renown. She is gone but still watches over.
Niel has enjoyed his own renown, his own moment in the sun, or spotlight, especially one moment before a packed-to-the-gunnels 1529-seat Great Hall at the Auckland's Town Hall in January 1955.
There he was
'I just recall the stage door opening and Nat King Cole marching through.”
Niel throws his head back and laughs at the memory.
'There he was.”
What a moment. What a glorious moment.
Nat King Cole, the man with the honey-voice, who recorded more than 100 songs that became worldwide hits and dominated American popular music for three decades.
Niel's reminiscing because he's Tauranga's real life connection to Nat King Cole – the man whose music features in the stage production ‘Unforgettable' at the 16th Avenue theatre from April 1 – an event that is part of the upcoming 60th Port of Tauranga National Jazz Festival.
And it's a close connection.
Pianist and leader Crombie Murdoch was taking his big band, including Niel on sax, through the charts, through the arrangements, rehearsing for Nat King Cole's show that night.
'He walked onto the Town Hall stage, cocked an approving ear – well I presume it was an approving ear.”
He made no comment, didn't say do this or that.
'Nat just left it to us and we were sufficiently professional to have been there before. He stayed at the rehearsal just long enough to be reassured with what he was hearing.”
Regardless, the entire band – the five saxophones, four trumpets, four trombones and rhythm section of piano, bass, guitar and drums – was 'mightily impressed with the man and the moment”.
And the concert, well everyone loved it.
'I was just so overwhelmed by the music and the fact I was playing with him. It was a joy, a huge night.”
Of course it was. Because earlier that day 5000 people turned out at Whenuapai aerodrome to see him arrive. They could have filled the great hall three times over. It was up there with the Beatles.
Overwhelmed
The following day Niel played golf with Nat King Cole.
'Good Lord,” says Niel, himself a single figure handicapper at the time.
'He was just so happy.”
The memory is whirring again.
'He was a bit overwhelmed because he was a black man playing golf with Pakeha guys at a club where the colour of a man's skin was irrelevant, it didn't matter.”
He wouldn't have been allowed to play on a white course back home in a racially-charged USA.
'He was quite moved by that. And the Akarana club made it such a special occasion – made him so welcome.”
As I wandered down Niel's drive after our chat, I can hear him wrestling with that scale on his flute again. The flute is still misbehaving. Niel, Nat's old mate, roars with laughter.
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