Search - Chet Baker :: Quartet

A Pairing Made In Heaven!

carol irvin | United States | 05/29/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pairing Chet Baker with Russ Freeman in the '50s resulted in some of the most gorgeous recordings of any era. Baker was an icon of the jazz world for his trumpet playing, his singing (almost sounding like a trumpet) and his incredible looks, which really stood out in the rather homely jazz world (jazz guys do not usually look like rock stars!). Russ Freeman was a fabulous pianist plus also a composer. Together the two men played the most romantic, most emotional music extant in jazz. Theirs is not the "intellectual" jazz as popularized by Dave Brubeck. Warning: Buying one Chet Baker CD can be dangerous for the wallet. Once you own one of his discs, you will want all of them. I certainly did and now have the cd collection to prove it! I also bought every recording I was able to find that he did with Russ Freeman."

Early Chet at His Best

Daniel G. Berk | West Bloomfield, Michigan | 03/30/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These recordings, made between February and October 1953, feature Baker at the threshold of his carreer and vividly show his ceativity and promise. Anyone who questions why he continues to be held in such high esteem, should find the answer in listening to this CD.There's a story that Charlie Parker, upon returning to New York from a trip to California, warned Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis about a new, young trumpet player out there named Chet Baker. These recordings demonstrate that the warning was justified."

Playing By Ear Never Sounded This Good!

Richard M. Gunderson | North Bay, California USA | 02/09/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"By all accounts, the life and career of Chet Baker was an amazing saga. How does someone go from a movie star handsome trumpet idol of the fifties to a nearly homeless, but still performing drug addict? A couple of great biographies of Chet Baker try to answer that question; I can't. I prefer to concentrate on his place in the history of jazz trumpet. He was certainly the the most intuitive trumpeter since Louis Armstrong; he did not read music, understand chord changes, nor compose. Stories abound of sidemen, including Russ Freeman, having to give Chet his opening note. However, once he heard a tune, he owned it; his ear was exceptional and was the foundation of his improvisational skills. Trumpet purists complain that his ideas are simple, that he has no technical mastery, and no range; all true comments to some extent. What he provides thru his beautiful tone and original conception, however, is an emotional connection to the listener which is the envy of any musical artist. The tunes in this release are like short stories, just long enough to leave you wanting more. As other reviewers have stated, this was Russ Freeman's date with the usual Pacific Jazz crew of Carson Smith, Joe Mondragon, and others. It's hard to believe that this stuff is over 50 years old; it has a vitality and freshness that just flows out effortlessly. Chet Baker was a rare artist who sounded like no one else, even 50+ years later."