Nat ‘King’ Cole to be saluted by his brother and nephew in Rancho Santa Fe

The phrase “like father, like son” takes on a new resonance in the hands of Freddy Cole and his son, Lionel.

The elder Cole is the veteran musician brother of the pioneering pop and jazz legend Nat “King” Cole, who died in 1965 at the age of 45.

Lionel Cole, Freddy’s son, is best known for his collaborations with Mariah Carey, Joss Stone and Rickie Lee Jones.

To commemorate Nat’s centennial year, father and son are embarking on a five-city concert tour of California that opens with a June 2 performance at The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe.

This will apparently mark the first joint tour ever by Freddy, 87, and Lionel, 50, who now resides in Australia. Their repertoire will showcase classic songs by Nat “King” Cole, whose genre-leaping music both defined and transcended its time.

Freddy Cole Legacy Band, featuring Lionel Cole, presents “A Centennial Tribute to Nat King Cole”: 3 p.m. next Sunday, June 2. The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe, 5951 Linea Del Cielo, Rancho Santa Fe. $65-$100 (attendees under 14 must be accompanied by an adult guardian). (858) 756-1131. fcole.eventbrite.com

-- George Varga is a reporter for The San Diego Union-Tribune