The same year (1957) Cole issued his No. 1 LP of lush ballads, Love Is the Thing, he also scored with After Midnight, a reconvening of his '40s trio for once-more-around takes of classics such as "Route 66," "It's Only a Paper Moon," and "Sweet Lorraine." Lending a hand on various cuts are jazz greats such as trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison, Ellington band trombonist Juan Tizol, and violinist Stuff Smith. The music is leisurely and friendly, with romance almost an afterthought; its echo can be heard in such diverse celebrations of American music as Willie Nelson's Stardust, Leon Redbone's On the Track, and The Best of Paolo Conte. --Rickey Wright