Jazz musician John Pizzarelli is a fan of all the songs by Nat King Cole.

He says each one is special.

"I think it's in Nat Cole's delivery itself that gives it a sort of special feeling for me," Pizzarelli says.

Pizzarelli and jazz artist Ramsey Lewis created a Nat King Cole tribute show about a year ago, and the duo will be performing tonight at the Walton Arts Center. Pizzarelli sings and plays guitar, and Lewis plays piano on stage. The show also features a bass player and drummer, Pizzarelli says.

Nat King Cole was an African-American jazz and pop musician with a 30-year career. In 1937, he became part of the King Cole Swingsters, later called the King Cole Trio. Some of his popular songs are "Unforgettable," "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66," "L-O-V-E," "Straighten Up and Fly Right" and "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer." Cole was diagnosed with lung cancer in December 1964 and died two months later at age 45.

Pizzarelli says some of Cole's music had a fun aspect to it, such as a sense of humor and "a little wink of the eye." He adds that the songs played in the tribute show "don't wander too far away from the original."

Pizzarelli has recorded more than 20 albums, two of which are tributes to Nat King Cole: "Dear Mr. Cole," and "P.S. Mr. Cole." He started playing guitar when he was about 10 years old, noting that his father is jazz guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli. He met a lot of jazz musicians growing up and was attracted to jazz music at an early age, he says.

Pizzarelli says he never grows tired of playing music by Nat King Cole. He adds that he wanted to be a jazz musician because of his father and because he loved Nat King Cole's trio.

"Playing that music is always something special to me."