Customer Reviews

Chet in Chicago

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What a surprise! 20 years after Chet Baker's tragic and mysterious death, ENJA Records issued an unreleased studio recording,cut in May 1986 and which reveals the genious, cool trumpet player at his best.
Out of my more than 100 C.B. recordings this is one of my favourite albums.
Even that Chet Baker did not play with Bradley Young and his buddies before,you can hear how cool and relaxed he felt with these young musicians: his trumpet playing and singing are very subtile and pure.
The repertoire is well chosen indeed: from the classics like 'Old Devil Moon' and 'My funny Valentine' (no 'versatile' tones in this version) to the 2 Miles Davis compositions 'Sippin' at bells' and 'Solar'.
The ENJA engineers produced -like always- a very clear,direct and most pleasant sound.
You can play this album as background music at a dinner with friends as well as enjoying it quietly and alone at home with a glass of bordeaux (and a cigar...?).
Caution : be prepared to tears in your eyes!
The sound of this music is never intrusive and might stimulate any newcomer jazz friend to discover more music from the cool jazz era.
Only negative point : Apparently ENJA decided to include a bonus track on the LP only!? It might be worth though to undust your good old vinyl record player...

My wife and I love the album, but there's a sad, bittersweet preface to it because of his drug abuse and death. There's a tiredness in his voice, less spark in his horn-playing, that previews a future demise, which makes us hold onto his previous music more closely, and we love his music, thru thick and thin. 03-09-2009

I rumage around, taking a chance, buying these newly released posthumous albums from my Cool Jazz Heroes and most are junk, but surprize surprize this one is really good! How did this one stay in the can for 20+ years???

Chet had a tendency to show up stoned late in his career, too stoned to play. By and large his emotive singing is better early in his career and playing is better, ie, more complex later...He played (early) as he sung, close to the melodic line. Early in his career he was favorably compared to Miles Davis, in that respect, but they both really diverged, right around 1963.

But here his singing is, well, (nearly) on key and his playing is first rate! A lot of feeling. This album stacks up well with his late Tokyo album (similar style). Here his melacholy style is offset by warm instrumentals. Particularly good are "Old Devil Moon", the ballad "Well Be Togther" and the happy "Solar".

If you like Chet, you'll love this album. I'm addin' this one to my Best of Chet List

also well recorded!
Recommended! - one of the most satisfying, best new finds in a otherwise fallow year/decade.

Chet Baker is such a great trumpet player and singer ! I am not sure how many times he has recorded MY FUNNY VALENTINE but he always sound great. Given the talent that is on this recording it is a gem in the rough. It's not Chet Baker in Tokoyo or one of his better known recording but if you like Chet Baker you will love this recording !

this album is excellent and even better sound from vinyl, I have the cd too but the vinyl is better by far