Customer Reviews

Embraceable You

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This collection, along with "Chet Baker Sings" creates the feeling of inevitability: the first time it is heard, the listener tends to say "Why didn't I know about this before?" There is something so intimate, so stylized, yet so real about the way Baker sings. Perhaps it's a fortuitous combination of the kind of voice (not a GREAT instrument), the material itself, and the way he approaches it. To get a sense of this concept, consider "Little Girl Blue". Baker comes from inside the emotional world of the lyric, as though he has lived it himself, while the incredibly beautiful melody seems to speak a new language of its own. This collection is important for fans of the vocal-only Baker, since it will expose them to his trumpet playing. The singer derived his singing style from that of the instrument: they are two sides of this marvelous musician, and give a complete picture.

My nephew, Henry, aged 13, gave me EMBRACEABLE YOU for my 64th birthday, assuming that since Chet and I were kinda the same generation I would be tickled to get these previously unreleased numbers. Henry didn't realize that I had no Baker in my music library. I'd vaguely enjoyed him in the 1950s but hadn't collected him. I was stunned and ecstatic and tremendously grateful to Henry. The world must be catching up with Chet because (Henry is a musician) many of the very young afficianados have discovered him big time. My only complaint is that the disc is fragile and already marred- I wish this were available on tape also. Does anyone know if it might be?

Dick Bock recorded this and it stayed on a shelf for 40 years! It is the only significant recording of David Wheat whose guitar forms a lusher background than any orchestra ever did for the remarkable intimacy Chet conveys with voice and horn. I was very close to both men so might not be fully objective, but this is a truly incredible/hypnotic/addictive work.

Love.

For my taste, this is the best recording of the great Chet Baker. It certainly must rank as one of the finest recordings of this very prolific artist for any Chet fan. The recording maximizes his numerous strengths, which culminate in his ability to create a sense of subtle poetry in music. He does this here primarily as vocalist with the backing of (only) an excellent nylon-string (classical) guitarist and double-bassist. This setting lets Baker shine in his subtle rhythmic and melodic nuances. Baker is widely known for his "laid-back cool," and he is more laid-back and cool here than anywhere else. I've even used the recording to lull children to sleep (what a hip way to go)! The fact that this recording was unreleased for many decades speaks volumes about the music business. With this recording, as the jazzers have long said about Bird and Jaco, "Chet lives!"

This is a very solid recording from Chet. If it had been released at the time he was winning Downbeat polls as the top trumpet player it would have probably been a best seller. But the fact that it surfaced almost 40 years later makes it all the more poignant. It's almost like he came back from the dead as the Chet Baker of the 1950s!

Chet was close to the top of his game when this recording was made. But the stripped down nature of this ensemble also has him playing and singing with the understated quality he assumed after years of being beat down by heroin, but here he had his full chops. These recordings are also of great quality -- the sounds is about as good as you can get (great sound quality with little tape noise).

This record can be summed up in one word, superb. If you haven't heard Chet Baker sing before, this is a great way to get to get familiar with him. This record contains without a doubt some of the gentlest and smoothest music ever put on vinyl. If you have a liking for cool, soft jazz, this record will make you melt, and probably your loved one too.

My favorite Chet Baker CD. One of my favorite CDs of any genre! I cannot say enough good things about this album. It touches me. The innocence and vulnerability of his voice is allowed to shine in this intimate setting moreso than on any other recording I've heard. This sparse, acoustic trio showcases a vulnerability that reaches right into your chest and could rip your heart right out. Just listen to "There's A Lull In My Life" and TRY to tell me I'm wrong. Okay, maybe I'm being a little forceful. But I can't help it. I admit that artists that can effectively bare their emotions always get me.

Strangely, I was reminded of this album (and couldn't help but review it)while I was frustratedly looking for an acoustic album of a pop artist whose studio albums just don't do him justice. I made the connection mentally because I think over-production is a shame when you have a true talent. Jazz is much less often guilty of the sin of over-production, but that doesn't make this beautifully under-produced album stand out any less. A true gem.

Why these takes were in a can for 40 years is beyond me. This is another fine example of the soft Baker at his best. The guitar and bass fits his horn to a tee. I am delighted to find this CD. If you like Baker, this is a must buy experience.

All tracks are recorded in 1957 but released almost forty years later. On half songs he's singin' and the other half is instrumental. Accompained only with Russ Savakus (bass) and David Wheat (acustic guitar).

Did I know of Chet Baker? Sure. Had I heard him sing? Well, yes, here and there, in snippets, as in the
film "The Talented Mr. Ripley," but somehow I didn't hear enough of him, or I am just not smart enough to
find the gold among the dross. So. I was listening to Nina Simone's great version of "I Get Along Without You
Very Well" on youtube, and there was Baker's version, offered as a suggestion. I listened, then listened to
two or three more songs, and I was hooked. I bought "Chet Baker Sings," and then after a week or two, I
bought two more Baker CD's, including this one, which I believe is my favorite. Baker's smooth, sweet voice,
not a huge one, invests each song he sings with--what--honesty? Truth? Whatever word one uses, it
comes down to talent. He's my first musical crush in years, and I am so happy to be here, even if I am
late to the party.

Oh, and as a P.S., I am dazzled by the guitarist David Wheat, and how he and the bassist support Baker
so beautifully with only two instruments, primarily a nylon-stringed, acoustic guitar. I hope Baker
kissed Wheat's hands after these sessions were finished, because the guitarist is fantastic.