| Chet Baker Sings and Plays | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1955 | |||
| Recorded | February 28 and March 7, 1955 | |||
| Studio | Capitol, 5515 Melrose (Hollywood) | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 37:53 | |||
| Label | Pacific Jazz PJ 1202 | |||
| Producer | Richard Bock | |||
| Chet Baker chronology | ||||
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Chet Baker Sings and Plays (subtitled With Bud Shank, Russ Freeman and Strings) is an album by jazz trumpeter Chet Baker recorded in 1955 for Barclay Records and released on the Pacific Jazz label. [1]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
| Tom Hull | A− [3] |
Matt Collar of Allmusic stated, "With the growing popularity of Chet Baker's first vocal album, Chet Baker Sings , Pacific Jazz producer Richard Bock wanted to capitalize on both facets of his young star's abilities. Hence, the trumpeter turned vocalist entered the studio in 1955 with both his quartet featuring pianist Russ Freeman and an expanded sextet including bassist Red Mitchell, Bud Shank on flute, and various string players. The resulting album, Chet Baker Sings and Plays, helped set in stone the image of Baker as the jazz world's matinee idol and icon of '50s West Coast cool". [2]
The cover is a mostly black and white collage made of various sources. The photos of Baker were taken by William Claxton. The picture of the Colosseum evokes Europe, where Baker began touring for the first time in September 1955. Images of Cupid, flowers, and a cropped close-up of Baker with his girlfriend Lili Cukier reflect the romantic track listing, containing love and torch songs. The song titles are spelled out in words taken from magazines.
Carson Raymond Smith was an American jazz double-bassist. Carson is the older brother of jazz musician and composer Putter Smith.
Russell Donald Freeman was a bebop and cool jazz pianist and composer.
"Just Friends" is a popular song that has become a jazz standard. The song was written in 1931 by John Klenner with lyrics by Sam M. Lewis. Although introduced by Red McKenzie and His Orchestra in October 1931, it first became a hit when singer Russ Columbo performed it with Leonard Joy’s Orchestra in 1932. It charted again the same year in a version by Ben Selvin and His Orchestra and has been recorded often since.
This article contains the discography of the American jazz trumpeter and singer Chet Baker. His most productive period was arguably for Pacific Records during the 1950s, which included his first vocal recordings.
(Chet Baker Sings) It Could Happen to You is an album by jazz trumpeter and vocalist Chet Baker. It follows a formula similar to two other Baker albums, Chet Baker Sings (1954) and Chet Baker Sings and Plays with Bud Shank, Russ Freeman & Strings in which he sings traditional pop standards in a jazzy fashion. Unlike the aforementioned records, on It Could Happen to You, on a few tracks, Baker plays no trumpet whatsoever, opting to scat in place of an instrumental solo.
The Cool Voice of Rita Reys is the debut album by Dutch jazz singer Rita Reys which features sessions recorded with bands led by drummers Art Blakey and her husband Wessel Ilcken. The sessions are divided over each side of the original LP which was released on the Dutch Philips and US Columbia labels.
Chet Baker Big Band is an album by jazz trumpeter Chet Baker recorded in 1956 and released on the Pacific Jazz label.
Chet Baker in Europe is an album by jazz trumpeter Chet Baker drawn from sessions recorded in Paris in 1955 for Barclay Records and released in the U.S. on the Pacific Jazz label. One consists largely of compositions by Bob Zieff, which pianist Dick Twardzik had introduced to Baker's repertoire; the other side consists of standards, recorded with a different quartet after Twardzik's death from a heroin overdose.
Chet Baker & Strings is an album by jazz trumpeter Chet Baker recorded in late 1953 and early 1954 and released on the Columbia label.
The Trumpet Artistry of Chet Baker is an album by jazz trumpeter Chet Baker recorded in 1953 and 1954 and released on the Pacific Jazz label. The album compiles tracks previously released on the 1954 10 inch LP Chet Baker Sextet along with previously unissued recordings.
Witch Doctor is a live album by American jazz trumpeter Chet Baker which was recorded at The Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach in 1953 and released on the Contemporary label in 1985.
Pretty/Groovy is an album by jazz trumpeter Chet Baker recorded in 1953 and 1954 and released on the World Pacific label in 1958. The album compiles tracks previously released on the 1953 10-inch LP Chet Baker Quartet featuring Russ Freeman along with previously unissued recordings.
Chet Baker Quartet featuring Russ Freeman is an album by jazz trumpeter Chet Baker originally recorded in 1953 and released as a 10-inch LP on the Pacific Jazz label. Russ Freeman was the pianist in the quartet and the composer of several of the pieces. The album was reissued on CD in 1998 with 17 bonus tracks originally released on the 10-inch LP Chet Baker Quartet featuring Russ Freeman and 12-inch LPs Pretty/Groovy and The Trumpet Artistry of Chet Baker.
West Coast Live is a live album by trumpeter Chet Baker and saxophonist Stan Getz which was recorded in California in 1953 but not released until 1997, on the Pacific Jazz label.
Grey December is an album by jazz trumpeter Chet Baker compiling sessions recorded in 1953 and 1955 which was released on the Pacific Jazz label in 1992. The album compiles tracks previously released on the 1954 10-inch LP Chet Baker Ensemble, the 7-inch EP Chet Baker – Sings And Plays With Bud Shank, Russ Freeman And Strings, along with previously unissued alternate takes.
Embraceable You is an album by jazz trumpeter Chet Baker recorded in 1957 but not released on the Pacific Jazz label until 1995. One song, "Trav'lin' Light" was previously released on the album Pretty/Groovy in 1958 but all other tracks were previously unissued.
Jimmy Giuffre is the debut album by American jazz clarinet and saxophone player, composer and arranger Jimmy Giuffre. It was released on the Capitol label initially in 10-inch LP format in 1954 with seven tracks, and an expanded 12-inch LP version with 10 tracks was released in 1955.
Bud Shank – Shorty Rogers – Bill Perkins is a Quintet album led by Bud Shank featuring Shorty Rogers or Bill Perkins which was recorded in 1954 and 1955 for the Pacific Jazz label.
I'll Take Romance is an album by saxophonist Bud Shank released on the World Pacific label.
My Ideal: A Tribute to Chet Baker Sings is a 2022 studio album by American musician Amos Lee, covering the 1954 album Chet Baker Sings.
