Chet Baker : In Paris

1. Alone Together 2. Tenderly 3. Summertime 4. There's A Small Hotel 5. I'll Remember April 6. Not Too Slow 7. Chet 8. Just Duo 9. Sad Walk 10. In A Little Provincial Town 11. Exitus 12. Tasty Pudding 13. These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You) 14. Everything Happens To Me

In the mid-1950s, Chet Baker, one of the leading members of the West Coast "cool" school of American Jazz, moved to Paris. This move, prompted by the love of a French girl he'd met in New York, landed Baker in Paris at the height of that city's growing jazz scene, and the trumpeter soon found himself recording at the Pathe-Magellen Studio for the highly respected Barclay label. In Paris collects some of the greatest tracks from these sessions, previously available only on five deleted LPs. Baker was at his musical peak at the time of these recordings, and throughout the 14 tracks his lyrical abilities are outstanding, as are the personnel he's got working with him. For the most part, the recording was done with a quartet consisting of a revolving cast of characters, both American [such as pianist Dick Twardzik] and French [pianist Gérard Gustin], although he also cut three tracks with Francy Boland's orchestra. The result is a sound that's up there with the best of Chet Baker's work, especially on the ebullient "I'll Remember April", the touching "These Foolish Things [Remind Me Of You]", the grand "Exitus" and "Everything Happens To Me", the sole track where Baker foregoes his trumpet in favour of his second favourite instrument, his voice.--Robert Burrow