Acércate más (Come Closer To Me)

The song "Acércate más" ("Come Closer to Me") is part of the album *Cole Español*, one of Nat King Cole's three albums aimed at the Latin market, recorded in 1958. This album has a unique backstory: the orchestra, arranged by Nelson Riddle, recorded its parts in Havana, Cuba. Later, Nat King Cole added his vocals in Los Angeles, California, in June of that same year. Interestingly, on the track “Tú, mi delirio,” Cole chose to layer his piano part over the track instead of his voice, showcasing an instrumental side. The album, which was also reissued under the titles *Español and More, Vol. 1*, reached number 12 on *Billboard* magazine’s LP chart and, years later, in 2007, was honored with induction into the Latin Grammy Hall of Fame. The version of “Acércate más” (“Come Closer to Me”) is two minutes and forty-nine seconds long.

The musical career of Nathaniel Adams Coles, known as Nat “King” Cole, took shape from his earliest years. Born in Montgomery in 1919, he moved with his family to Chicago as a child. There, his mother, Perlina Adams—who played the organ at the Baptist church where his father, Edward Coles, was a minister—was his only piano teacher. From her, Nat learned not only classical music but also jazz and gospel. The family lived in Bronzeville, a vibrant neighborhood in the 1920s, famous for its nightlife and jazz clubs. It was in these venues that Nat, still a teenager, soaked up the sound of artists like Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines, who became a key inspiration. In the mid-1930s, Nat launched his career, adopting the name Nat Cole. His older brother, Eddie, a bassist, joined his band for their first recording in 1936. They achieved local success in Chicago, and it was at one of those clubs that he was given the nickname “King.” After a tour as a pianist with Eubie Blake that took him to Long Beach, California, Nat decided to settle on the West Coast.