VA - Membran Music's Jazz Ballads Series Vol. 1-5 (10 CD, 2004) [FLAC+320]

 A CD sets with the most beautiful ballads in the history of jazz.

Lyrical, imaginative, sensuous and melodic jewels from the art of music.

Precisely for those people who have maintained their taste for lasting musical values.

Jazz in its most gentle form.

Irrestible...

Jazz Ballads 1: Chet Baker & Gerry Mulligan
Jazz Ballads 2: Ben Webster
Jazz Ballads 3: Lester Young
Jazz Ballads 4: Clifford Brown & Sonny Rollins
Jazz Ballads 5: Don Byas

Stan Getz, Chet Baker - Stockholm Concerts 1983 [3 CD, 1999/FLAC]

  

According to this set's annotator, Mike Hennessey, and Stan Getz's biographer, Donald Maggin, the circumstances surrounding the making of these 1983 recordings was unpleasant in the extreme. For various reasons, Getz was unhappy to be concertizing with Baker and forced him out before the 35-date tour was halfway finished. Before Baker left, however, the men played a pair of concerts in Stockholm, which were fortunately recorded for posterity. Fortunately not because Getz and Baker shared any special rapport that led to a classic performance, but because the resulting album gives listeners another example of how wonderful a player Chet Baker was, even after years of drug addiction and general dissolution. Getz is his typical self -- lyrical, facile almost to the point of glibness, but musical nevertheless. Baker, on the other hand, is as he ever was -- one of the most spontaneously creative, emotionally compelling voices in jazz. The band is good if unspectacular; drummer Victor Lewis was a particularly nice choice in that he could drive a band like this without overwhelming the rather brittle lead voices. And Getz is excellent; if you're a Getz fan, he's in fine form here, so you won't be disappointed. Baker, on the other hand, is superb; it's his inimitable musicality that ultimately makes this rather pricey three-disc set a bargain.

 

Chet Baker - My Funny Valentine [10 CD, 2008] [FLAC + 320]

  

Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker, Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and singer.
In the 1950s, Baker earned much attention and critical praise, particularly for albums featuring his vocals, such as Chet Baker Sings. Jazz historian David Gelly descibed the promise of Baker's early career as seemingly representing "James Dean, Sinatra, and Bix, rolled into one." However, his "well-publicized drug habit" also drove his notoriety and fame, as Baker was in-and-out of jail for much of his life before enjoying a career resurgence in the late 1970s and '80s.

Baker died in 1988 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

VA - Golden Jazz Box: The Six Best Albums From The Six Best Jazzmen (6 CD, 2015) [FLAC]

 

Son of the Blues, Jazz is one of the deepest expressions in music. With improvisation as its foundation, the genre includes multiple artists that are embedded in gold letters in the history of popular music. Golden Jazz Box is a celebration of that legacy, presenting the 6 best albums of each one of the genre's biggest icons: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Chet Baker, Dave Brubeck, Bill Evans and Duke Ellington.

Golden Jazz Box works as a true musical encyclopedia, the definitive collection of these wonderful singers in one six-CD box. Golden Jazz Box is a fantastic album, suitable for any moment and mood and an opportunity to get closer to these timeless artists.

Chet Baker – The Legendary Riverside Albums (5 CD, 2019) [24-96]

Craft Recordings is pleased to announce the release of Chet Baker’s The Legendary Riverside Albums. The deluxe album set presents the artist’s output as a leader for the renowned jazz label, recorded and released between 1958 and 1959: (Chet Baker Sings) It Could Happen To You, Chet Baker In New York, Chet and Chet Baker Plays The Best Of Lerner And Loewe. The recordings, which feature such icons as Bill Evans, Johnny Griffin and Kenny Burrell, have been cut from their original analog master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio.

Verve Jazz Masters series Vol. 31-40

 Jazz Masters is a series of mainly single artist compilations released by Polygram/Verve between 1994 and 1996. The compilations collect material that was originally released on Verve or on one of the labels that became part of the Polygram group. The 20th and 60th releases in the series were various artist collections.

VJM 31 - Cannonball Adderley

VJM 32 - Chet Baker

VJM 33 - Benny Goodman

VJM 34 - Coleman Hawkins

VJM 35 - Johnny Hodges

VJM 36 - Gerry Mulligan

VJM 37 - Oscar Peterson Plays Broadway

VJM 38 - Django Reinhardt

VJM 39 - Cal Tjader

VJM 40 - Dinah Washington Sings Standards

Chet Baker - The Early Years (4 CD, 2005/FLAC)

 

The four discs in this Proper box chart the development of Chet Baker with a slew of West Coast players in his earliest days (between 1952-1954) live at the Lighthouse with Jimmy Giuffre, Russ Freeman, and others -- as produced by Les Koenig -- and in the studio, including both pianoless quartets, one with Gerry Mulligan and one with Stan Getz. In addition, there are some other live dates with his own band, including a CD full of vocal performances.

 

Chet Baker - Chet Baker Sings - The Complete 1953-62 Vocal Studio Recordings (3 CD, 2014/FLAC)

 

This collection compiles, for the first time ever on a single set, all existing studio recordings of Chet Baker singing from 1953 (his earliest vocal recordings) until 1962. The music on this set put Chet Baker on the scene not just as a brilliant trumpeter, but also as a talented singer. These songs were a revelation at the time and won Baker new fame and a new audience, which was less familiar with jazz than with pop music. The reasons are quite clear: Chet’s voice is tender and beautiful, and at the same time his phrasing always swings and surprises. Among the contents of this set are the complete original albums Chet Baker Sings and Chet Baker Sings It Could Happen to You, plus all other existing vocal sides within that period.

Gerry Mulligan with Chet Baker - Complete Pacific Jazz Recordings (4 CD, 1996/FLAC)

 

Baritonist Gerry Mulligan's pianoless quartet of 1952-1953 with trumpeter Chet Baker was one of the most popular groups of the period and an influential force on West Coast Jazz. Mulligan's interplay with Baker looked back toward the collective improvisation of Dixieland but utilized up-to-date harmonies. This four-CD set overlaps with a previous (and now out-of-print) five-LP Mosaic box. In addition to all of the Pacific Jazz (as opposed to Fantasy and GNP/Crescendo) recordings of the Mulligan Quartet (including the hit version of "My Funny Valentine"), this box has a few slightly earlier titles that find Mulligan gradually forming the group (even utilizing pianist Jimmie Rowles on two songs), tunes from live sessions in which altoist Lee Konitz made the band a quintet, the 1957 Mulligan-Baker set called Reunion, and an Annie Ross date from the same period (leaving out the numbers that have Art Farmer in Baker's place). Despite both musicians remaining active for over 30 years, Mulligan and Baker only teamed up again on one occasion, for a 1970s Carnegie Hall concert released by CTI. The consistently delightful music on this box (much of which is classic) is highly recommended for all jazz collections.

Chet Baker - The Hits (1952-1959) (3 CD, 2019/FLAC)

 Both as a trumpeter and as a singer, Chet Baker was one of the most romantic jazz performers of all time, able to reach climaxes of intense feeling and intimacy. This 57-track, 3-CD set compiles some of his best performances, all of them studio recordings with excellent sound quality. Among the highlights are three different readings of “My Funny Valentine” (a song Baker made into a classic), “Alone Together”, and Billy Strayhorn’s celebrated “Lush Life”. Baker is accompanied here by other jazz giants such as Bill Evans, Russ Freeman, Gerry Mulligan, Pepper Adams, Kenny Burrell, Kenny Drew, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones.

VA - Pacific Jazz II Collection (6 CD, 1989/FLAC)

 

Very rare 1989 UK 6-CD set, digitally remastered and transfered from the original masters, featuring Gerry Mulligan, Gerry Mulligan & Chet Baker, Bud Shank, Bob Brookmeyer, Richard Twardzik/ Russ Freeman Trios and Chico Hamilton.

Chet Baker - Chet In Paris: The Complete Barclay Recordings Of Chet Baker Vol. 1-4 (4 CD, 1988/FLAC)

 

• Chet Baker - Trumpet, Vocals
• Richard "Dick" Twardzik - Piano
• Gerard Gustin - Piano
• Raymond Fol - Piano
• Ren Urtreger - Piano
• Francy Boland - Piano
• Jimmy Bond - Bass
• Benny Vasseur - Trombone
• Jean Aldegon - Alto Sax
• Bobby Jaspar - Tenor Sax
• Jean-Louis Chautemps - Tenor Sax
• Benoit Quersin - Bass
• Eddie de Haas - Bass
• Jean-Louis Viale - Drums
• Nils-Bertil Dahlander - Drums
• Peter Littman - Drums
• Charles Saudrais - Drums

Chet Baker - The Pacific Jazz Collection (4 CD, 2016/FLAC)

 

A master of the trumpet and a much-heralded vocalist, Chet Baker s string of classic albums and his seemingly effortless cool style have earned him a legendary reputation which still rivals that of any other jazz musician. Esteemed jazz historian Dave Gelly described the trumpeter s image as a blend of James Dean, Sinatra and Bix, rolled into one . A musical icon of the 1950s and 60s, Baker s playing, singing and style would go on to influence countless others who came along in his wake. This four disc collection, containing over five hours of music in total, brings together the finest records made by Chet Baker for Pacific Jazz. Demonstrating the creation of a true jazz icon and tracking his development from his earliest recordings to his departure from the label with whom he made his name, these albums are presented here faithfully remastered and in the best possible quality, and form not just the perfect introduction to this master musician, but equally provide an a enthralling glimpse of an essential contribution to American musical history.

Chet Baker - For Lovers (3 CD, 2018/FLAC)

 In his dual role as a trumpeter and as a singer, Chet Baker was one of the undisputed masters of the jazz ballad, able to reach climaxes of intense feeling and intimacy. This set compiles some of his best performances of the genre, all of which are studio recordings with excellent sound quality.  Baker is accompanied here by other jazz giants such as Bill Evans, Pepper Adams, Kenny Burrell, Kenny Drew, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones. 

Chet Baker - Love Walked In (4 CD, 2006/FLAC)

 Chet Baker was a primary exponent of the West Coast school of cool jazz in the early and mid-'50s. As a trumpeter, he had a generally restrained, intimate playing style and he attracted attention beyond jazz for his photogenic looks and singing. But his career was marred by drug addiction.