Essential Standards: Chet Baker

iTunes Review

If you’ve been putting off getting into a Chet Baker phase, this is the perfect place to start. Conversely, should you be a longtime fan, this compilation of the man’s late ‘50s and early ‘60s recordings for Riverside Records delivers — not only are these selections the brass tacks of the man’s works on the label, but the sequence here flows organically, like a conceptualized album less than a collaged collection. The lilting “Have You Met Miss Jones” opens with West Coast cool as Baker’s trumpet blows notes smooth and creamy enough to butter your bread. His voice was just as mellifluous as his horn; listen to “Old Devil Moon” where lightly dancing piano notes and tropical percussion accompany Baker’s whispery croons. The version of “My Funny Valentine” here is the rare instrumental take with Gerry Mulligan and Baker’s captivating inflections occupy center stage on this hypnotizing take. Every other song in this sequence is an instrumental and most of the vocal versions hail from the 1958 It Could Happen To You sessions.