Chet Baker
Chet Baker Sings
10" coloured vinyl edition. Ten tracks drawn from the 1954-56 Pacific Jazz sessions. Chet Baker Sings is a record that arrived too early for its own audience. In 1954 a twenty-four-year-old trumpet player set down his horn, leaned close to the microphone, and sang as if confiding something he wasn't sure he wanted overheard. What the era received as a flaw - a voice too soft, too high, too undefended for a man - is exactly what now sounds like the future turning up ahead of schedule.
There is al…
Smog
On Smog, Piero Umiliani weaves Italian cinematic cool, West Coast jazz and vocal chiaroscuro into a quietly devastating portrait of early‑60s Los Angeles, with Chet Baker and Helen Merrill tracing the city’s alienated glamour in smoke.
In Memory Of
Trumpet superstar Chet Baker recorded a session with Archie Shepp in 1988, an unexpected collaboration given their different styles. At the time of the event, Shepp had adopted a more traditional approach, yet still retained an appreciation for the contemporary elements that characterized his earlier creations. Meanwhile, Chet had embraced a more modern style in his music, which differed significantly from Archie's direction, partly due to the physical transformations Baker had experienced. The …
Smog
The long-forgotten soundtrack to a hip early 1960s Italian cult movie, with music by Piero Umiliani and the legendary Chet Baker. Helen Merrill's vocal theme is just outstanding, rarely bettered -- the jazz is playful, mysterious and charming. This is just inspired and incredible music. Limited edition of 500 copies.