Chet Baker

The piano-less quartet fronted by Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan proved to be enormously influential and set the groundwork for many other groups. However, Mulligan and Baker’s paths would separate afterward and they would not cut more than a couple of albums together following the superlative recordings presented here. This set contains the complete master takes by the original group, taped in 1952-53.

PERSONNEL:

CHET BAKER, trumpet
GERRY MULLIGAN, baritone sax
On all tracks plus:

JIMMY ROWLES, piano
BOB WHITLOCK, CARSON SMITH, JOE MONDRAGON, bass
CHICO HAMILTON, LARRY BUNKER, drums

Recorded in San Francisco, Hollywood and Los Angeles, 1952-53.

CD 1: TOTAL TIME: 78:06 Min.

01 BERNIE’S TUNE
02 LULLABY OF THE LEAVES
03 UTTER CHAOS #1
04 LINE FOR LYONS
05 CARIOCA
06 MY FUNNY VALENTINE #1
07 BARK FOR BARKSDALE
08 UTTER CHAOS #2
09 NIGHTS AT THE TURNTABLE
10 FRENESI
11 AREN’T YOU GLAD YOU’RE YOU? #1
12 WALKIN’ SHOES
13 SOFT SHOE
14 FREEWAY
15 LIMELIGHT
16 THE LADY IS A TRAMP
17 TURNSTILE
18 MOONLIGHT IN VERMONT
19 DINAH [issued as “Haig and Haig”]
20 SHE DIDN’T SAY YES, SHE DIDN’T SAY NO
21 GODCHILD
22 POINCIANA
23 AREN’T YOU GLAD YOU’RE YOU? #2
24 GET HAPPY
25 CHERRY
26 CARSON CITY STAGE
27 UTTER CHAOS #3

CD 2: TOTAL TIME: 73:01 Min:

01 MAKIN’ WHOOPEE
02 MOTEL
03 MY OLD FLAME
04 LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME
05 JERU
06 SWING HOUSE
07 UTTER CHAOS #4
08 I MAY BE WRONG
09 I’M BEGINNING TO SEE THE LIGHT
10 THE NEARNESS OF YOU
11 TEA FOR TWO
12 DARN THAT DREAM
13 VARSITY DRAG
14 SPEAK LOW
15 HALF NELSON
16 LADY BIRD
17 LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME
18 SWING HOUSE
19 FIVE BROTHERS
20 I CAN’T GET STARTED
21 MY FUNNY VALENTINE #2
22 IDE’S SIDE
23 FUN HOUSE [issued as “Haig and Haig”]