Chet Baker's iconic Riverside catalogue to be reissued
Chet Baker's classic 1950s Riverside catalogue is set to be reissued through Craft Recordings
Last updated 12th Jan 2021
It has been announced that four classic, remastered titles from legendary jazz artist Chet Baker are set to be released on vinyl. Craft Recordings are reissuing the albums and are celebrating his complete contribution to the iconic Riverside jazz label, all recorded and released between 1958 and 1959. The titles will include albums It Could Happen To Yo’, Chet, In New York and Chet plays the best of Lerner and Loewe.
Baker’s 1958 recording session debut for Riverside, which resulted in the album (Chet Baker Sings) It Could Happen to You, offers a modern, hipper take on standards like 'Old Devil Moon,' 'You’re Driving Me Crazy' and 'How Long Has This Been Going On?' The album is an outlier in his Riverside output, marking the only title that was not produced by the label’s co-founder, Orrin Keepnews (who initially objected to his partner Bill Grauer’s unilateral signing of Baker).
The album is unique in that the nimble artist sets aside his trumpet on several of the tracks, using only his vocals—and even scatting some of the improvised solos in a style that sounds very much like his lyrical trumpet playing.
A month after his Chet Baker Sings sessions, the artist went back into the studio to record Chet Baker in New York with a stellar lineup of Philly Joe Jones on drums, tough-tenor Johnny Griffin, bebop veteran Al Haig on piano and bassist Paul Chambers. The song selection, which ranges from laid-back and serene to hard-driving bop, features top-notch performances and impressive solos from all musicians involved.
Chet, 1959’s instrumental outing, focuses on ballads and features an all-star cast that includes pianist Bill Evans, guitarist Kenny Burrell, flautist Herbie Mann and Pepper Adams on the baritone saxophone. Baker shines in his languid and tuneful approach to tracks like 'Alone Together,' 'It Never Entered My Mind' and 'September Song.'
Baker’s final album for Riverside, 1959’s Chet Baker Plays the Best of Lerner and Loewe, finds the trumpeter offering his renditions of tunes by lyricist Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick Loewe who, together, penned some of the most famous songs on Broadway. Baker, joined by an ensemble that once again included Bill Evans, Pepper Adams and Herbie Mann—along with the great Zoot Sims on tenor saxophone—covers material from My Fair Lady, Gigi, Brigadoon and Paint Your Wagon.
Though Baker’s Riverside era preceded even more troubling times for the artist, these recordings find the artist in excellent form, joined by some of New York’s finest musicians, proving his brilliance as an inspired original, and as one of the great jazz musicians of the 20th century.
When will Craft Recordings Chet Baker Riverside LP reissues be released?
Craft Recordings will released the classic Chet Baker Riverside studio albums on the 5th of March 2020.