Reissue of Chet Baker Quintette - Chet Baker Quintette, released in 1963 on Crown Records.
Chet Baker was a primary exponent of the West Coast school of cool jazz in the early and mid-'50s. As a trumpeter, he had a generally restrained, intimate playing style and he attracted attention beyond jazz for his photogenic looks and singing. Baker earned much attention and critical praise through the 1950s, particularly for albums featuring his vocals (Chet Baker Sings, It Could Happen to You). Jazz historian Dave Gelly described the promise of Baker's early career as "James Dean, Sinatra, and Bix, rolled into one." His well-publicized drug habit also drove his notoriety and fame; Baker was in and out of jail frequently before enjoying a career resurgence in the late 1970s and '80s.

During his extended "stay" in Europe circa the late '50s and early '60s, Chet Baker produced half a dozen albums for the Riverside Records subsidiary label Jazzland. On Chet Baker in Milan – the first of his overseas sides – Baker revisits the familiar stomping grounds of West Coast cool, even though he is the only American in the band. The basic quartet includes Chet Baker (trumpet), Renato Sellani (piano), Franco Serri (bass), and Gene Victory (drums). However, on a majority of the cuts, that unit is upgraded to a sextet with sax players Glauco Masetti (alto) and Gianno Basso (tenor). According to Peter Drew's brief liner notes essay, these Italian players were found by a local record label and arrangements were essentially retrofitted to suit Baker.

Picture of Heath (also known as Playboys was the best collaboration ever by two of the greatest jazz masters of all time: trumpeter Chet Baker and alto saxophonist Art Pepper. This set presents the complete album, along with, as a bonus, seven tracks from a previous session fronted by both stars.

Chet Baker in New York features the trumpeter in the company of a strong New York unit including Johnny Griffin, Al Haig, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones. These tracks mark the only collaborative recordings by Baker and Griffin. A reading of “Soft Winds” that completes the sessions (originally released on the various artists album New Blue Horns), and a full date that was recorded in New York the following year (on which Baker plays four songs by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe) have been added as a bonus.

Chet Baker’s Quartet with Russ Freeman was one of the best combos of its time. The May 9, 1954 concert at Ann Arbor took place at the city’s Masonic Temple, and was originally issued as Jazz at Ann Arbor. Presented here is the Ann Arbor concert in its entirety, along with, as a bonus, five quartet sides recorded by Chet in a Paris studio in 1955 during his first European tour, among them another version of the classic "Lover Man".

This release presents the complete original LPs "Chet Baker & Strings", which marked the trumpeter’s first experience recording with a string orchestra, and "Chet Baker Ensemble". Both albums feature important jazz luminaries, such as Zoot Sims, Herb Geller, Jack Montrose, Bud Shank and Bob Gordon, plus the rhythm section of Russ Freeman, Joe Mondragon, and Shelly Manne. As a bonus, this edition contains the complete LP "Chet Baker Sextet", featuring Bob Brookmeyer and Bud Shank, as well as a 1956 Chet Baker big band date.

The instrumental studio tracks recorded by the classic Chet Baker Quartet with pianist Russ Freeman complement the vocal sides issues on Chet Baker Sings. The 1952-53 instrumental sides originally appeared on Pacific Jazz EPs and were later reunited on Cool Baker Vol. 1 and Cool Baker Vol. 2. Quartet: Russ Freeman and Chet Baker, taped in 1956, contained the very last collaborations between the trumpeter and pianist.

The unforgettable Chet Baker Sings put Baker on the map not just as a brilliant trumpeter, but also as a talented vocalist. This album was a revelation at the time and won Baker new fame and a new audience, which was less familiar with jazz than with pop music. The reasons are quite clear: Chet’s voice is tender and beautiful, and at the same time his phrasing always swings and surprises.

One of the better-known sessions from Chet's time in Italy at the end of the 50s - a really beautiful album that has Chet working with a string orchestra in a set of lush arrangements that really bring a lot to his sound! The album really sounds great - not sleepy, but warm and beautiful, in a style that was perfect for Chet's fading romanticism. A few cuts have Chet taking a vocal chorus or two, but mostly, the focus is on trumpet solos.

This release presents the complete master takes by Gerry Mulligan's original 1952-53 piano-less quartet with Chet Baker. These legendary recordings -producer Dick Bock originally started his label specifically to record the popular Gerry Mulligan Quartet- would prove enormously influential and set the groundwork for many other groups. However, Mulligan and Baker's paths would separate afterward and they would not record more than a couple of albums together. All of their recordings together from that period are on this 2-CD set.

Gerry Mulligan was primarily known as a baritone saxophonist, but was an expert exponent of other saxophones, clarinet and piano as well as being a highly-respected arranger, was one of the giants of post-war modern jazz. He was one of the leading lights in the cool jazz movement focused on the USA's West Coast. In 1952 he began a legendary collaboration with the young lyrical trumpeter Chet Baker, newly-arrived on the jazz scene after an Army career, with the primary era of their professional relationship ending in 1953 when Mulligan was jailed on narcotics charges. This LP highlights some of their greatest recordings during this time as part of Mulligan's iconic pianoless quartet, initially comprising informal 'live' recordings at The Haig jazz club in Los Angeles and at the house of recording engineer Phil Turetsky, and later at the Black Hawk club in San Francisco as well as more formal studio environments.

The quality of Chet Baker's product was so varied during the last decade or more of his life that recording sessions varied markedly. For this "remixed version" of Mr. B Baker sounds a tad tired, though his chops are in fine form. The studio recording captures the trumpeter with highly sympathetic and self-effacing pianist Michel Grallier and bassist Ricardo Del Fra, both of whom engage in the leader's brand of sensitivity. There are no vocals by the trumpeter, but plenty of improvising. The interesting tune selection features a few songs played often by Baker (such as Wayne Shorter's "Dolphin Dance" and Horace Silver's "Strollin'"), but several that are not associated with him at all (Grallier's "White Blues" and his gorgeous "Father X-mas," to name a couple). There is a sadness permeating the trumpeter's sound throughout, exacerbated by the lazy, sometimes sluggish, tempos. A deep and touching beauty can be felt, marking this as one of Chet's best from the period.

This 1982 studio recording of Chet Baker was not released until Stash Records issued it in 1994 (the album has been out of circulation for several years). It's a very high quality production of Baker with an unusual lineup of fine sidemen: Kenny Barron on piano, Charlie Haden on bass, Ben Riley on drums, Howard Johnson on tuba and James Newton on flute. The six tracks (total running time of 40:59) include vocals on the title song and Miles Davis' "Four." Of special note is the song "Lament," which shows off one of Baker's rightfully admired ballad performances. "But Not For Me" is the first of a series of Stash Records reissues licensed by Random Chance Records that will be coming out over the next few years.

This 3-CD collection presents all of the music originally issued from Chet Baker’s studio sessions made for the Barclay label during his first European tour in 1955 and 1956, which was initially presented on three LPs. Most of these sessions are in a quartet or a quintet format. The very first two feature the splendid pianist Dick Twardzik, who would die in Paris from a drug overdose soon after the recordings were made. Also featured on this set are Bobby Jaspar, René Urtreger, Francy Boland & Jean-Louis Viale, among others.Back in Los Angeles in 1956, Chet re-recorded with a larger group five of the tunes from the French sessions using the very same arrangements by Pierre Michelot and Christian Chevallier. Those tunes have been added here as a bonus, along with five all-time classics by Chet, among them his unforgettable readings of “I Fall in Love Too Easily” and “My Funny Valentine.”

érard Gustin, born in Nice in 1930, initially trained in violin but soon found his true passion in the piano, particularly in the realm of jazz. His musical journey was shaped by encounters with notable musicians along the way. By 1955, Gustin’s talent caught the attention of Parisian audiences, and his trio performances solidified his reputation as one of the finest French pianists of his generation. During this pivotal period, Gustin crossed paths with Chet Baker, leading to a memorable collaboration on the trumpeter’s second album for the Barclay label. This partnership showcased Gustin’s exceptional piano skills, revealing a distinctive musical language influenced by jazz luminaries like Horace Silver and George Wallington, yet marked by his own unique flair and creativity. In January 1956, Barclay took a significant step in recognizing Gustin’s talent by recording him for a debut 10-inch album. Leading a trio with guitarist Sacha Distel and bassist Gilbert Gassin, Gustin’s compositions and performances highlighted his innate abilities as both a pianist and a composer. As Gustin shifted towards popular music and embraced theworld of show business, his jazz legacy began to fade into the background. Despite his undeniable talent, he didn’t attain the same level of recognition in jazz circles as some of his peers. Nevertheless, Gérard Gustin stayed committed to his musical craft until his passing in 1994, leaving behind a rich and varied musical legacy that resonated across multiple generations.