Chet Baker › The Very Best of Chet Baker [EMI]

Personnel: Chet Baker (vocals, trumpet); Chet Baker ; Corky Hale (harp); Edgar Lustgarten, Kurt Reher, Eleanor Slatkin, Ray Kramer (cello); Curtis Counce, Jimmy Bond, Joe Mondragon, Leroy Vinnegar, Red Mitchell, Carson Smith (bass instrument); Bud Shank (flute, baritone saxophone); Herb Geller (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Art Pepper (alto saxophone); Jack Montrose, Phil Urso (tenor saxophone); Bob Gordon (baritone saxophone); Bob Brookmeyer (valve trombone); Russ Freeman , Carl Perkins , Bobby Timmons (piano); Larance Marable, Larry Bunker, Shelly Manne, Peter Littman, Bob Neel (drums).

Liner Note Author: Donald Elfman.

Recording information: Western Recorders, Los Angeles, CA (10/03/1953-11/06/1956).

Photographer: Carole Reiff.

Arrangers: Jack Montrose; Marty Paich.

Any serious jazz musician will tell you that Chet Baker was much more than just a pretty face. A purveyor of what became known "west coast cool," Baker was both an effective vocal stylist and a distinctive soloist.

THE VERY BEST is a terrific survey of Baker's early recording career. For those who may not be familiar with the artist, this compilation will provide an alternative to wading through Baker's considerable discography. Many of the vocalist and trumpeter's most memorable moments are captured on this collection. For example, the sweet and romantic vocal to "My Funny Valentine" and the equally dreamy "Let's Get Lost" epitomize that now classic, starry-eyed genre that Baker helped to establish. Then there are the melancholic numbers, "The Thrill is Gone" and "But Not For Me." On these selections, Baker's delicate vocal timbre complements themes of loneliness, detachment, and self-pity. And just when you think Baker's gone soft, he picks up his horn and blisters through the bebop charts "Love's Nest" and "Bockhanal." On these tracks, Baker displays the kind of improvisational prowess that won him the gig with the great Charlie Parker in 1952.

Genre:

• Jazz

Music Categories:

• Jazz Instrument: Saxophone