Chet Baker And The Carmel Strings

One of the better-known sessions from Chet's time in Italy at the end of the 50s - a really beautiful album that has Chet working with a string orchestra in a set of lush arrangements that really bring a lot to his sound! The album really sounds great - not sleepy, but warm and beautiful, in a style that was perfect for Chet's fading romanticism. A few cuts have Chet taking a vocal chorus or two, but mostly, the focus is on trumpet solos.

One of the better-known sessions from Chet's time in Italy at the end of the 50s - a really beautiful album that has Chet working with a string orchestra in a set of lush arrangements that really bring a lot to his sound! The album really sounds great - not sleepy, but warm and beautiful, in a style that was perfect for Chet's fading romanticism. A few cuts have Chet taking a vocal chorus or two, but mostly, the focus is on trumpet solos.

One of the better-known sessions from Chet's time in Italy at the end of the 50s - a really beautiful album that has Chet working with a string orchestra in a set of lush arrangements that really bring a lot to his sound! The album really sounds great - not sleepy, but warm and beautiful, in a style that was perfect for Chet's fading romanticism. A few cuts have Chet taking a vocal chorus or two, but mostly, the focus is on trumpet solos.

This collection compiles, for the first time ever on a single set, all existing studio recordings of Chet Baker singing from 1953 (his earliest vocal recordings) until 1962.
The music on this CD puts Chet Baker on the scene not just as a brilliant trumpeter, but also as a talented singer. These songs were a revelation at the time and won Baker new fame and a new audience, which was less familiar with jazz than with pop music. The reasons are quite clear: Chet's voice is tender and beautiful, and at the same time his phrasing always swings and surprises. Among the contents of this set are the complete original albums Chet Baker Sings and Chet Baker Sings It Could Happen to You, plus all other existing studio vocal sides within that period.

For much of the last two decades of his life, Chet Baker seemed to go in the studios so often that one never knew what to expect. The results were a crapshoot, depending on whether or not Baker was suffering the effects of his drug addiction at the time. Fortunately, his friendship with Chicago-based pianist Bradley Young in the early 1980s gave the younger man an opportunity to sit in with the trumpeter. As a result, Young impulsively suggested a record date during a return engagement in 1986, which Baker accepted, though everything had to come together quickly within two days, including finding a studio and assembling a band. Oddly enough, everything works, from the fine rhythm section (bassist Larry Gray and drummer Rusty Jones) to the performance of the standards and jazz tunes that had long been a part of Baker's repertoire.

Chet Baker & Crew : The Forum Theatre Recordings. Sometimes known as the Prince of Cool and the James Dean of jazz, Chet Baker was one of the most popular and controversial jazz musicians. He was the primary exponent of West Coast school of cool jazz (that was in early and mid-1950s). As a trumpeter, he had an intimate and romantic style of playing music, and attracted a lot of attention beyond jazz, mainly because of his movie star looks. Baker earned much attention and critical praise through the 1950s, particularly for albums featuring his vocals (Chet Baker Sings, It Could Happen to You). Jazz historian Dave Gelly described the promise of Baker's early career as "James Dean, Sinatra, and Bix, rolled into one." His well-publicized drug habit also drove his notoriety and fame. Baker was in and out of jail frequently before enjoying a career resurgence in the late 1970s and '80s.

Chet Baker & Crew : The Forum Theatre Recordings. Sometimes known as the Prince of Cool and the James Dean of jazz, Chet Baker was one of the most popular and controversial jazz musicians. He was the primary exponent of West Coast school of cool jazz (that was in early and mid-1950s). As a trumpeter, he had an intimate and romantic style of playing music, and attracted a lot of attention beyond jazz, mainly because of his movie star looks. Baker earned much attention and critical praise through the 1950s, particularly for albums featuring his vocals (Chet Baker Sings, It Could Happen to You). Jazz historian Dave Gelly described the promise of Baker's early career as "James Dean, Sinatra, and Bix, rolled into one." His well-publicized drug habit also drove his notoriety and fame. Baker was in and out of jail frequently before enjoying a career resurgence in the late 1970s and '80s.

Chet Baker & Crew : The Forum Theatre Recordings. Sometimes known as the Prince of Cool and the James Dean of jazz, Chet Baker was one of the most popular and controversial jazz musicians. He was the primary exponent of West Coast school of cool jazz (that was in early and mid-1950s). As a trumpeter, he had an intimate and romantic style of playing music, and attracted a lot of attention beyond jazz, mainly because of his movie star looks. Baker earned much attention and critical praise through the 1950s, particularly for albums featuring his vocals (Chet Baker Sings, It Could Happen to You). Jazz historian Dave Gelly described the promise of Baker's early career as "James Dean, Sinatra, and Bix, rolled into one." His well-publicized drug habit also drove his notoriety and fame. Baker was in and out of jail frequently before enjoying a career resurgence in the late 1970s and '80s.

This is one of the last Chet Baker (trumpet) long players recorded in the States prior to the artist relocating to Europe in the early '60s. Likewise, the eight-tune collection was the final effort issued during his brief association with the Riverside Records imprint. The project was undoubtedly spurred on by the overwhelming success of the Shelly Manne-led combo that interpreted titles taken from the score to My Fair Lady (1956). In addition to becoming an instant classic, Manne's LP was also among of the best-selling jazz platters of all time. While Baker and crew may have gained their inspiration from Manne, these readings are comparatively understated. That said, the timelessness of the melodies, coupled with the assembled backing aggregate, make Chet Baker Plays the Best of Lerner and Loewe (1959) a memorable concept album.

Recorded live at the famous Lighthouse club in Hermosa Beach, CA, and reissued on CD in 1991, this disc finds Baker playing well, if not very consistently, and features a shifting group behind him that includes, on various tracks, saxophonists Bud Shank, Bob Cooper, and Jimmy Giuffre; pianists Russ Freeman and the underrated Claude Williamson; Lighthouse fixture Howard Rumsey on bass; and drummers Max Roach and Shelly Manne. The sound quality is fair and the playing occasionally gets a little bit sloppy Baker's solo work on "Pirouette" is especially dodgy but there are some moments of real inspiration, including the band' s boppish up-tempo reading of "Winter Wonderland" and Manne's inventive percussion on the Latin-flavored Cooper composition "Witch Doctor." There are better introductions to the Lighthouse sound, but this album is sure to please Chet Baker fans.