Chet Baker The Legendary Riverside Albums 180g 5LP Box Set

TAS Super LP List! Special Merit: Informal

Few musicians have embodied the romantic—and ultimately tragic—jazz figure as totally as Chesney "Chet" Baker (1929–88). Unschooled yet eloquent in his music, and a fast-liver who survived for nearly six decades, the Baker mystique has only reinforced one of the most haunting trumpet styles and ingenious approaches to jazz singing. The Los Angeles–based musician rose to fame in the early '50s, playing with established artists like Charlie Parker, Gerry Mulligan and pianist Russ Freeman—partnerships which would solidify his status as a major jazz star. By the end of the decade, when he signed a four-album deal with the New York–based label Riverside, Baker had become known for his trademark West Coast "cool jazz" style. However, these recordings—which pair the artist with some of the best East Coast players—demonstrate Baker's versatility as a modern trumpeter who could play with even the hardest boppers.

Craft Recordings is pleased to announce the release of Chet Baker's The Legendary Riverside Albums. The deluxe five-LP box 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 and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI. Also included is a bonus disc of choice outtakes and alternates from Baker's Riverside sessions, plus a collectible photo print and a 16-page booklet filled with photos and insightful new liner notes by jazz historian Doug Ramsey.

"The sound on the discs is natural, realistic, transparent, balanced, and tonally accurate, and the intimate nature of the music benefits from a black noise floor...When he began recording for Riverside, Chet Baker was already that rarity of rarities: a jazz musician whose popularity extended well beyond standard jazz circles and a heartthrob who, as one writer put it, "made girls fall right out of (their) saddle oxfords". Don't kid yourself, though: Baker was a great jazz musician. His vocal recordings made up a fraction of his total output, yet he was one of the finest jazz singers from that period. And while his talents as a trumpeter certainly weren't limited to ballads, he ranks among the elite ballad players. While recording for Riverside, Baker retained his warm, intimate sound on the trumpet, but his was also a period of exploration that was partly influenced by geography, as suddenly a famous West Coast jazz musician found himself working with a label based in New York City and playing with more East Coast guys... This music on the compilation was recorded as the 50s were drawing to a close. This is the decade when Baker first made his mark on the music world, and during that period he kept challenging himself. The skill he displayed in his use of counterpoint during his tenure with the Gerry Mulligan Quartet quickly turned heads with its high level of musicianship. His work with Dick Twardzik revealed his ability to play unusually intricate progressive jazz, and Chet Baker in New York, confirmed his affinity for bebop. The authority with which Baker performed diverse strands of music, his gorgeous tone and gift for melody, his lyricism and use of space, all of these elements combined to make a jazz musician whose prowess as a player is formidable, yet the mythology surrounding his glamorous image and self-destructive lifestyle tends to obfuscate his commitment to jazz. To describe his playing as effortless makes for a nice narrative that would be even more romantic if it were true. Clearly music was in his DNA, and plenty of clean-living musicians would give anything to have half of the talent of Baker - but his music didn't just happen. It was born of a search for beauty, a search that would continue the rest of his life. " - Jeff Wilson, The Absolute Sound, March 2020

For every reason, from mastering to pressing to packaging and annotation - and pricing, Craft's 5 LP Chet Baker Riverside box scores the highest marks... reissue perfection.