My Funny Valentine

Chet Baker | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 25, 1994)
• Original Release Date: January 25, 1994
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Blue Note Records
• ASIN: B000005GWQ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,313 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #29 in Music > Jazz > Cool Jazz
  • #36 in Music > Indie Music > Jazz > General

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MY INTRODUCTION TO CHET BAKER, July 30, 2001

By 

MOVIE MAVEN (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Funny Valentine (Audio CD)

This CD was my first introduction to Chet Baker's vocals and trumpet playing and it is still my favorite. What a gorgeous recording. Compiled from several different collections recorded from 1953 to 1956, Baker's voice is so pure, so vulnerable and sweet....Mel Torme-like in its "foggy" quality, but also lighter than Torme, a boy/man tenor. His trumpet is, as always, exquisite.

The songs are all classics and include the title song by Rodgers and Hart, Gershwin's "Someone to Watch Over Me" and my personal favorite, Jule Styne's "Time After Time." There is also an arrangement of Jimmy Van Heusen's "Moonlight Becomes You" that is as smooth and beautiful as the more famous one by Bing Crosby.

All of the selections are love songs, in intimate arrangements for late-night, romantic listening. There is, unfortunately, not one liner note. I would have loved to know about the other players and about Baker's life at this point in time. As compensation, Capitol Records has published William Claxton's famous photographic portrait of the handsome, shirtless Baker, trumpet in hand, and a female model close by on the front and back of the album. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

55 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chet's most popular vocal album, August 7, 2000

By 

rash67 (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: My Funny Valentine (Audio CD)

Chet Baker was already a budding jazz trumpet star when he decided to try vocals, the natural extension of his close-to-the-melodic-line trumpet style.

Chet Baker, apres le deluge, with the movie star looks intact and the high-pitched, fragile, Cool, sensitive voice sings (mostly) here on his best selling vocal album. And he signs on key! (In his later years, after a lot of bad habits, his trumpet playing improved, and his singing was consistantly flat). But here he is before his habits had taken their toll.

His singing style, even in the 50's, points back to a much earlier era, to the Crosby/Sinatra romantic and sad Saloon Songs of the 30's and 40's. And Chet always seemed to have a group of young women following him around, like Sinatra.

Here he often seems so fragile, etherial, non-macho and so sensitive as to be not of this earth. This album is definately Midnight listening, laid back, romantic, wistful music pointing to a time long ago or a time that never was. A stress antidote.

A treasure to Chet Baker fans and lovers. There is a "best of" which contains many of these highlights, but this is the original. Probably the best introduction to Chet's vocal music. And of course it contains "My Funny Valentine"!

5 stars for a bestseller.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Silent yearning, March 5, 2000

By 

Elskabar (Patersopn, New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Funny Valentine (Audio CD)

This musical recording astounded me during a visit to a friend's home for supper. I enjoyed it so much, that I forgot I was there to eat. One can easily sink into a chair while listening to Chet and forget why one IS. Chet's vocal delivery is voluptious, enrapturing, warm, and invites you to protect. It is as if words became tears and laughter doused by irony. I highly recommend this album for your most special gatherings, or for those times when you just want to be alone with your thoughts. It is perfect for listening to, or background music. I look forward to creating a collection of this man's wonderful work.