Forty-five years after his death, Nat King Cole returns to join the likes of Nas, Cee-Lo, Just Blaze and TV on the Radio on a remix record entitled Re: Gernerations. This album puts a hip twist on Cole’s early jazz while at the same time remaining rooted in the music that inspired generations of artists to follow.

The first production credit on the album goes to Cee-Lo Green the Soul Machine, who opens Re: Generations with a dark interpretation of ‘Lush Life.’ Haunting vocals and crisp drums aid as the perfect opener to this joint. However, following this track the album kicks into high gear. Aimed at moving feet and removing butts from seats, Cut Chemist shows off his superior scratching ability on the swing inducing track ‘Day in day out.’ Michaelangelo L’Acqua and Bebel Gilberto stop by to add a little Latin flavor on the soothing ‘Brazilian love song,’ giving this record a nice change of pace from frantic swing dance to slow jam.

But, it’s not all gravy when it comes to this remix album. Like others before it, this record hits a number of pit falls, including droning songs that seem to blend in with one another and an obvious overuse of the artist being remixed. For instance, most of these tracks feature Nat King Cole taking up most of the song rather than providing space for the featured artist to perform a proper tribute. ‘Walkin’ my baby back home’ features Black Thought of The Roots, an absolute rhyming hurricane, but Cole’s vocals take up nearly 3 minutes of the 4 minute track leaving Black not nearly enough time to deliver his lethal dose of lyrical venom. The point of this album is to pay tribute to Nat King Cole, not showcase work we’re already familiar with.

Re: Generations is definitely on the high end of most remix albums. It successfully harnesses the soulfulness of a jazz legend while at the same time showcasing the diversity of the featured artists. Aside from a few minor missteps, this record does the late jazz legend justice.

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