Chet Baker

This release contains all of Baker’s earliest sessions as a vocalist, recorded in Los Angeles between October 1953 and July 1956. Also included is the only vocal session from the 1956 LP Chet Baker Sings and Plays with Bud Shank, Russ Freeman & Strings (Pacific Jazz 1202, 1955). Added here as well is the complete August 1958 New York session with pianist Kenny Drew which was released on another classic record from that period: Chet Baker Sings: It Could Happen to You (Riverside RLP-12-278, 1958). The music contained on this 2-CD set includes Baker’s earliest vocal versions of such trademark hits as “You Don’t Know What Love Is”, “Let’s Get Lost”, and “My Funny Valentine”. The latter song would become almost a theme song for Chet, who would play and record it hundreds of times.

To complete this retrospective, a rare vocal version by Chet of Gerry Mulligan’s “Line for Lyons” (with Bobby Timmons on piano), plus two more vocal gems, “Forgetful” and “Deep in a Dream”, taken from a 1959 session recorded in Milan, Italy, with an orchestra conducted by
Len Mercer. All of these sets showcase the delightful innocence and naivety of Baker’s vocal sound during his early twenties, at the onset of his professional career, prior to the intense physical wear and tear and emotional turmoil caused by (or exacerbated by) a long term drug habit.

PERSONNEL:

CHET BAKER, vocals & trumpet, with:

Collective personnel:
Russ Freeman, Kenny Drew (p)
Carson Smith, George Morrow,Sam Jones, Red Mitchell, Leroy Vinnegar (b)
Chico Hamilton, Philly Joe Jones, Shelly Manne, Dannie Richmond (d), among others.

Recorded in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Milan between 1953 & 1959.

CD1:
01. MY FUNNY VALENTINE
02. BUT NOT FOR ME
03. TIME AFTER TIME
04. I GET ALONG WITHOUT YOU VERY WELL
05. THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER YOU
06. LOOK FOR THE SILVER LINING
07. I FALL IN LOVE TOO EASILY
08. THE THRILL IS GONE
09. DAYBREAK
10. JUST FRIENDS
11. I REMEMBER YOU
12. LET’S GET LOST
13. LONG AGO AND FAR AWAY
14. YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT LOVE IS
15. THAT OLD FEELING
16. IT’S ALWAYS YOU
17. I’VE NEVER BEEN IN LOVE BEFORE
18. MY BUDDY
19. LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE
20. MY IDEAL

Total Time: 60:40

CD2:
01. THIS IS ALWAYS
02. SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME
03. I WISH I KNEW
04. GREY DECEMBER
05. DO IT THE HARD WAY
06. I’M OLD FASHIONED
07. YOU’RE DRIVING ME CRAZY
08. IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU
09. MY HEART STOOD STILL
10. THE MORE I SEE YOU
11. EVERYTHING HAPPENS TO ME
12. DANCING ON THE CEILING
13. HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON
14. OLD DEVIL MOON
15. WHILE MY LADY SLEEPS
16. YOU MAKE ME FEEL SO YOUNG
17. LINE FOR LYONS
18. LET ME BE LOVED
19. FORGETFUL
20. DEEP IN A DREAM

Total Time: 70:16