Chet Baker Quartet (Chet Baker in Paris Vol. 1) (Mono Remastered) Chet Baker

• 1Rondette02:10
• 2Piece Caprice05:08
• 3Mid-Forte03:06
• 4Re-Search04:57
• 5Pomp04:39
• 6Sad Walk04:14
• 7Just Duo04:10
• 8The Girl From Greenland05:14
• 9Brash05:53
• Total Runtime39:31

Info for Chet Baker Quartet (Chet Baker in Paris Vol. 1) (Mono Remastered)

Newly remastered! For his first recording-date in Paris Chet decided to tackle Bob Zieff's compositions, the same ones that Dick Twardzik had picked up in a hurry at the Alvin Hotel on his way to board the liner Ile-de-France. Violonist Dick Wetmore had just recorded the eight tunes, and Bob Zieff had had just enough time to revise the arrangements. Chet neither a champion sight-reader nor a big fan of rehearsals, hadn't yet played them in front of an audience. From that first French session only the reel referred to as a "production tape" remains.

This "complete Bob Zieff" gives an impression of unity that well matches the suite concept intended by the composer; as for "The Girl From Greenland," its role comes as a codicil. The record of Chet's quartet with Twardzik has now appeared in Ben Ratliff's book "Jazz, a Critic's Guide to The 100 Most Important Recordings" (The New York Times Essential Library); it's a fitting mention for an album that was long unrecognized in the the United States.

This session, recorded at Studio Pathe-Magellan October 11 and 14, 1955 in Paris, is the first of three recordings for the Barclay label between 1955 and 1956.

Chet Baker, trumpet
Jimmy Bond, double bass
Peter Littmann, drums
Dick Twardzick, piano

Digital remastered

Chet Baker Trumpeter and singer Chet Baker encountered jazz when playing with Army bands where he quickly developed his distinctive style. A short stint with Charlie Parker (1952) was followed by a long association with baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan. The pianoless quartet performed and recorded with great success - immediate fame came to Chet Baker and his cool, subdued style. His lyricism became typically associated with West Coast jazz and found many followers around the world. Baker led his own groups after leaving Mulligan for many years in both the US and Europe. His career became somewhat erratic in the sixties when he lived and worked mostly in Europe.

In the seventies he began his comeback and his very unique talent as a vocalist and instrumentalist soon put him back on the major concert stages. Excellent albums were done during the last ten years of his life which were maybe less perfect than his early West Coast work in the technical sense but showed a depth of feeling and intensity rarely heard. Luckily his last concert was recorded: it is one of the finest of his career (The Last Concert ENJ-6074 22). Chet Baker was very involved with the production of the concert, choose the music well in advance which was arranged for an ensemble consisting of a regular bigband, a symphony orchestra and a jazz quintet. He was very happy that he could finally record and perform under the best of circumstances. That night's version of My Funny Valentine,a song he had performed uncountable times before will stand out for all times as an absolute masterpiece of vocal jazz.

Dec. 23, 1929 (Yale, Oklahoma) - May 13, 1988 (Amsterdam).

This album contains no booklet.