Use of sustain pedal

[Mikeo1938]

I've been looking at YouTube clips of Nat King Cole - the Trio and later - and noticed that his feet are nowhere near the pedals. He usually sat swivelled round to face the audience and I can see why this was the case. But how about the sustain pedal? Did he ever use it? Is it common for pianists to ignore the pedals? I find that I really can't get by without the sustain pedal. (I play mainly standards of the 30s, 40s and 50s.)
Comments greatly appreciated.
M

 

[Fred Coulter]

Depends on the style of music. If Nat King Cole played with a band, it would be far less needed than if he was playing solo.

 

[Mikeo1938]

Thanks for the comment ... I forgot to say, for what it's worth, that I have an upright acoustic piano.
M

 

[RogerH]

I came here as I looked into something: "From that angle, Nat must have been playing the sustain pedal with his left foot". I didn't find the answer here, but it inspired me to watch videos. You can definitely hear the sustain pedal in action (it would be incredibly difficult play that smoothly without it). So...left foot it must be.