Chet Baker Quartet Featuring Phil Markowitz

Chet Baker was a primary exponent of the West Coast school of cool jazz in the early and mid-'50s. As a trumpeter, he had a generally restrained, intimate playing style and he attracted attention beyond jazz for his photogenic looks and singing.

Unreleased for half a century - and worth the wait. Documenting a complete West German live appearance from October 9, 1955 (including an announcement from promoter Gigi Campi and some impromptu dialogue from Chet Baker himself), The Köln Concert Featuring Dick Twardzik captures a harder, more soulful dimension of the trumpeter's work absent from his concurrent studio dates. There's real heat simmering below Baker's icy-cool tones, and he invests familiar compositions like "Imagination" and "I'll Remember April" with new verve. No less notable is his support staff, featuring pianist Richard Twardzik in one of his final performances before his fatal heroin overdose just 12 days later. His contributions here are shapely and supple, each note a poignant reminder of the immense talent he squandered away.

This album is somewhat unique in that it was recorded just a few days after his pianist Dick Twardzik died of a heroin overdose while in Paris. According to Chet, this event lead to him "seeing what heroin was all about" and it became an instant and lifelong companion for him. Because Twardzik was not able to play, they had to come up with some basic "standards" that Chet normally didn't play that often, so that there new sit-in pianist could keep up. In this case, you here some really wonderful versions of songs that Chet rarely ever played, like Summertime, Tenderly, Autumn in New York, etc, which are all marvelous.

Burnin' At Backstreet was recorded at the Backstreet Club in New haven Connecticut on February 19, 1980. Baker and Frank appear in a quartet format with bassist Michael Formanek and pianist Drew Salperto. The repertoire is wholly Baker. Baker loved the Miles Davis songbook and his performances of Davis originals were always more rounded and open than Davis.' "Tune Up," the modal "Milestones" and craggy "Four" share the stage with another Baker favorite, Dizzy Gillespie's "Blue 'n Boogie." Baker is in good solo form on these up tempo numbers. His tone is fat and confident, even when presented tartly, like the opening of "Milestones"…

Chet Baker - Live at Nick's (1978) {Criss Cross Jazz, Criss 1027CD rel 1989}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 387 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 165 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 11 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1978, 1989 Criss Cross Jazz | Criss 1027 CD
Jazz / Cool / West Coast Jazz / Trumpet

Recorded for Dutch radio, this is one of Chet Baker best live recordings. Live At Nick's is a very fine set, extermely well modulated, one of mere handful of albums from the last two decades of Chet's career that have to be considered essential.

The instrumental studio tracks recorded by the classic Chet Baker Quartet with pianist Russ Freeman complement the vocal sides issues on Chet Baker Sings. The 1952-53 instrumental sides originally appeared on Pacific Jazz EPs and were later reunited on Cool Baker Vol. 1 and Cool Baker Vol. 2. Quartet: Russ Freeman and Chet Baker, taped in 1956, contained the very last collaborations between the trumpeter and pianist.

The instrumental studio tracks recorded by the classic Chet Baker Quartet with pianist Russ Freeman complement the vocal sides issues on Chet Baker Sings. The 1952-53 instrumental sides originally appeared on Pacific Jazz EPs and were later reunited on Cool Baker Vol. 1 and Cool Baker Vol. 2. Quartet: Russ Freeman and Chet Baker, taped in 1956, contained the very last collaborations between the trumpeter and pianist.