Customer Reviews

My Funny Valentine

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I don't know how well regarded this Chet Baker album is, but it is damn good. I was first introduced to this excellent trumpeter and balladeer through his quiet, mysterious and mournful version of 'My Funny Valentine', which serves as not only the title of this album, but as the opening track. I was instantly struck by his strange, soft voice and style, and his approach to this number was almost eerie and spooky-sounding. This album, I feel, is a great introduction to him as well as the West Coast Jazz scene of the 1950's that dominated the glamorous nightlife of Hollywood. It is an excellent collection of standards by songwriting greats, many of which are some of my personal all-time favorites. His renderings of tunes like 'I'm Glad There Is you' with his striking and melodic brand of trumpet-playing, an excellently-pieced together 'Time After Time', and a quintessential version of the lovelorn 'I Fall in Love Too Easily' that closes the album will leave you breathless and are truly gems to behold. His voice is so sensitive and heartbreaking, it can sway the song from sounding sad to sounding all-out hopeless.

Baker could take almost any song, no matter how midtempo or easygoing the arrangement, and develop it with his style, so that it had a kind of dejected and mournful vibe. All of the fourteen cuts on this album are proof of that. There were few jazz musicians working in the 1950's that were really adopting traditional forms of barroom jazz and saloon songs with their own touch and style, and remaining respectful. This is a great example of such though. A classic album for any jazz fan's collection.

Chet Baker's voice had an innocent, sincere quality that few other singers have matched (although they've certainly tried). These 14 cuts -- mostly standards -- are not only well performed but also well recorded, with a warm sonic clarity.

This CD is a good start in building a Chet Baker collection; if you want only one Baker disc, this will fill the bill.

Although some Chet Baker fans will say that he was doing some of his best work toward the end of his life (in the 1980s), I believe that this CD demonstrates that Chet wasn't exactly doing badly during this period, either! These songs were recorded between 1953 and 1956 when Chet was very popular and his voice was nearly flawless. He sings in a singularly beautiful voice because it is masculine yet soft, approachable and displaying vulnerability. Chet also plays the trumpet on these tracks very well.

The musical arrangements are very well done. There is the instrumental track "Isn't It Romantic?" and the trumpet solos on other tracks are terrific! He was a natural. Chet is accompanied by Russ Freeman on piano for most of this CD, except for "Sweet Lorraine" when Pete Jolly plays piano. Bud Shank does a great job on flute at the beginning of "Someone To Watch Over Me" as well.

The cover photo is of Chet and a woman in black and white. There are musical credits but no lyrics. The absence of lyrics won't be a problem here, however, since Chet sings very clearly. You won't have any trouble figuring out what he's singing!

I highly recommend this CD for fans of jazz, vocal jazz and any music that highlights the trumpet playing as Chet does so well here. A fine work of art!

These are works by a young Chet Baker, simple, most of them without a string section, just trumpet, piano, drums, and bass fiddle, and singing between the trumpet solos. These songs are very pure and effective having somewhat the same effect on me as James Taylor's "Sweet Baby James". Fortunately, CD's don't wear out from frequent playing.

Chet Baker has a voice like no other. Very very distinctive. It seems that you either love him or can't stand him. I LOVE him. His voice is haunting in a way. Very mellow. Almost melancholy. His trumpet playing is flawless. I was introduced to his music in 1999 by a friend of mine who has long been a fan of Chet. I had never heard of this legend!! Where had I been?!! Now that I own mostly all of Chet Baker's CDs I realize how "not known" he is. Hardly anyone I've talked to knows his music unless the person happens to be a jazz aficionado. That is sad because I think Chet's music is exceptional and this particular CD is my favorite. I highly recommend this CD. It's great for playing in the car, for background music at a dinner party, for first dates, for just hanging out at home! I bet once you purchase this one you will want more of his CDs. He is so talented.

This 1994 collection of Chet singing and blowing is a beaut. These recordings from 1952 to 1956 are all lovely and frequently gorgeous, especially the title track, 'Someone to watch over me', 'Time after time', and 'Like someone in love'.

Hearing vocal versions of many of these songs is a treat for me because I'm used to hearing versions by Miles Davis or John Coltrane or the like. Chet had a beautiful voice that exuded transparency and tenderness, yet had just the right amount of roughness on the edges. At times it sounds like he is so frail the smallest touch or sound could cause him to crumble. His horn playing is trademark Chet-warm and round.

Everything here is at least good, if not great and compelling. Definitely worth checking out.

Recommended.

I GOT THIS CD FOR MY DAD.. HE LOVES THE SONG "MY FUNNY VALENTINE" AND I LOVED HOW THIS ARTIST SANG THE SONG.

WHEN MY DAD WAS VERY ILL WITH CANCER, SCARED AND UNSURE... HE WOULD PLAY THAT SONG AND SING ALONG... IT CALMED HIM.

AFTER MY DAD PASSED, I OF COURSE, KEPT THE CD'S I BOUGHT HIM... AND I STILL PLAY HIS SONG.