Chet Baker: Milestones of a Legend (10 CDs)

This box with 10 CDs is a real goody for those with a taste for jazz. It comprises altogether 17 original LPs made by the legendary trumpeter who could also sing with great feeling. Chet Baker’s fans reckon him among creators of a trumpet playing style that was more restrained, lyrical and distinguished by a typical coolness inspired by Miles Davis.

At the age of ten he was given a slide trombone by his father that he exchanged for a trumpet, to be like his idol Harry James. In a very short time Baker taught himself to play simple swing tunes and showed he was also a talented improviser. He became well-known as a trumpeter in Gerry Mulligan’s quartet. He was cowriter alongside Mulligan of the popular hit single “My funny Valentine”.

Parallel to his popularity however, grew also his addiction to drugs and he had to endure a two-year stretch in jail. After making it through a long and difficult period he  played better than ever before and made his best records, in 1978 in Europe, for several
different labels. A further high point was a successful tour in Japan.

But despite success the life of this brilliant musician ended tragically. In 1988 he fell from the window of a hotel room in Amsterdam. It still remains unclear whether it was an accident that happened under the influence of drugs, or a case of suicide.

CD 1
Grey December
1-1 Grey December 3:41
1-2 I Wish I Knew 3:59
1-3 Someone To Watch Over Me 3:01
1-4 This Is Always 3:06
1-5 Headline 3:08
1-6 Ergo 3:09
1-7 Bockhanal 2:59
1-8 A Dandy Line 2:49
1-9 Pro Defunctus 3:27
1-10 Little Old Lady 2:49
1-11 Moonlight Becomes You 3:25
1-12 Goodbye 3:48

Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone Herb Geller – Baritone Saxophone Bob
Gordon – Bass Joe Mondragon - Drums Shelly Manne – Piano Russ Freeman
– Tenor Saxophone Jack Montrose - Trumpet Chet Baker

Chet Baker Quartet Featuring Russ Freeman
1-13 Long Ago And Far Away 2:12
1-14 Happy Little Sunbeam 2:40
1-15 Moon Love 3:15
1-16 Bea's Flat 2:57
1-17 No Ties 2:56
1-18 Band Aid 2:43
1-19 The Thrill Is Gone 2:42
1-20 All The Things You Are 2:54

Bass Carson Smith - Drums Larry Bunker - Piano Russ Freeman - Trumpet
Chet Baker 

CD 2
Chet Baker & Strings
2-1 You Don't Know What Love Is 3:29
2-2 I'm Thru With Love 2:36
2-3 Love Walked In 2:57
2-4 You Better Go Now 3:05
2-5 I Married An Angel 3:36
2-6 Love 2:32
2-7 I Love You 2:47
2-8 What A Diff'rence A Day Made 2:40
2-9 Why Shouldn't I 3:34
2-10 A Little Duet For Zoot and Chet 2:35
2-11 The Wind 3:57
2-12 Trickleydidlier 2:37

Bass Joe Mondragon – Drums Shelly Manne – Piano Russ Freeman -
Saxophone Bud Shank - Tenor Saxophone Zoot Sims - Trumpet, Vocals
Chet Baker

Chet Baker Sings And Plays With Bud Shank, Russ Freeman And Strings
2-13 Let's Get Lost 3:43
2-14 This Is Always 3:07
2-15 Long Ago And Far Away 3:56
2-16 Someone To Watch Over Me 3:01
2-17 Just Friends 2:42
2-18 I Wish I Knew 3:59
2-19 Daybreak 2:40
2-20 You Don't Know What Love Is 4:52
2-21 Grey December 3:41
2-22 I Remember You 3:15

Bass Carson Smith / Red Mitchell - Drums Bob Neel - Flute Bud Shank -
Harp Corky Hale - Piano Russ Freeman - Trumpet, Vocals Chet Baker

CD 3
Chet Baker Sings
3-1 That Old Feeling 3:02
3-2 It's Always You 3:33
3-3 Like Someone In Love 2:24
3-4 My Ideal 4:21
3-5 I've Never Been In Love Before 4:27
3-6 My Buddy 3:18
3-7 But Not For Me 3:03
3-8 Time After Time 2:44
3-9 I Get Along Without You Very Well 2:57
3-10 My Funny Valentine 2:18
3-11 There Will Never Be Another You 2:58
3-12 The Thrill Is Gone 2:49
3-13 I Fall In Love Too Easily 3:19
3-14 Look For The Silver Lining 2:38

Bass Carson Smith (#7 to #14) / James Bond (#1 to #6) - Celesta Russ
Freeman (#1 to #6) - Piano Russ Freeman - Drums Lawrence Marable (#6) /
Peter Littman (#1 to #5) - Vocals, Trumpet Chet Baker

CD 4
Chet Baker Quartet With Russ Freeman
4-1 Love Nest 4:17
4-2 Fan Tan 5:41
4-3 Summer Sketch 4:37
4-4 An Afternoon At Home 5:11
4-5 Say When 5:02
4-6 Lush Life 4:55
4-7 Amblin' 7:12
4-8 Hugo Hurwhey 4:26

Bass Leroy Vinnegar - Drums Shelly Manne
Piano Russ Freeman - Trumpet Chet Baker

Playboys
4-9 For Minors Only 3:59
4-10 Minor Yours 6:40
4-11 Resonant Emotions 5:40
4-12 Tynan Time 5:31
4-13 Picture Of Heath 6:23
4-14 For Miles And Miles 4:47
4-15 C.T.A. 5:09

Alto Saxophone Art Pepper - Bass Curtis Counce - Drums Lawrence Marable -
Piano Carl Perkins - Tenor Saxophone Phil Urso - Trumpet Chet Baker

CD 5
The James Dean Story
5-1 Jimmy's Theme 2:51
5-2 The Search 4:43
5-3 Lost Love 3:36
5-4 People 3:33
5-5 The Movie Star 3:34
5-6 Fairmont, Indiana 4:32
5-7 Rebel At Work 3:42
5-8 Success And Then What 3:55
5-9 Let Me Be Loved 4:09
5-10 Hollywood 5:03
5-11 Let Me Be Loved (Vocal) 2:15

Alto Saxophone Charlie Mariano (#14 #15 #17 to #19 #21 to #23) / Herbie
Steward - Alto Saxophone, Flute Bud Shank (#14 to #19 #21 to #23) - Baritone
Saxophone Pepper Adams (#14 #15 #17 to #19 #21 to #23) - Bass Monte Budwig - Bongos Mike Pacheco (#14 #15 #17 to #19 #21) - Drums Mel Lewis - Flute
Don Fagerquist (#14 #15 #17 to #19 #21 to # 23) - Piano Claude Williamson -
Saxophone Bill Holman (#14 #15 #17 to #23) Richie Kamuca (#14 #A15 #17 to
#19 #21 to #23) - Trombone Milt Bernhart (#14 #15 #17 to #19 #21 to #23) -
Trumpet Chet Baker / Ray Linn (#14 #15 #17 to #19 #21 to #23)

CD 6
Chet Baker Sings It Could Happen To You
6-1 Do It The Hard Way 3:00
6-2 I'm Old Fashioned 5:05
6-3 You're Driving Me Crazy 2:55
6-4 It Could Happen To You 2:51
6-5 My Heart Stood Still 3:26
6-6 The More I See You 3:05
6-7 Everything Happens To Me 5:04
6-8 Dancing On The Ceiling 3:08
6-9 How Long Has This Been Going On 4:09
6-10 Old Devil Moon 2:57

Bass George Morrow (#1 #2 #5 #7 #8) / Sam Jones (#3 #4 #6 #9 #10) - Drums
„Philly“ Joe Jones (#1 #2 #5 #6 #7 #8 #10) Dannie Richmond (#3 #4 #9) - Piano
Kenny Drew Trumpet, Vocals Chet Baker

Chet Baker With Fifty Italian Strings
6-11 I Should Care 2:44
6-12 The Song Is You 2:31
6-13 Goodbye 5:01
6-14 Angel Eyes 4:32
6-15 Forgetful 2:41
6-16 Violets For Your Furs 3:17
6-17 When I Fall In Love 3:35
6-18 Autumn In New York 3:30
6-19 Street Of Dreams 2:27
6-20 Deep In A Dream 4:32

Len Mercer & His Orchestra - Trumpet, Vocals Chet Baker

CD 7
Chet Baker Sextet
7-1 The Half Dozens 2:21
7-2 I'm Glad There Is You 3:12
7-3 Stella By Starlight 3:53
7-4 Tommyhawk 3:39
7-5 Little Man You've Had A Busy Day 4:43
7-6 Dot's Groovy 4:33
7-7 A Minor Benign 4:17
7-8 Ponder 4:25
7-9 Twenties Late 5:39
7-10 X 4:33

Baritone Saxophone Bud Shank - Bass Carson Smith - Drums Shelly Manne -
Piano Russ Freeman - Trombone [Valve Trombone] Bob Brookmeyer -
Trumpet Chet Baker

Chet Baker Introduces Johnny Pace
7-11 All Or Nothing At All 3:20
7-12 Crazy She Calls Me 4:10
7-13 The Way You Look Tonight 3:13
7-14 This Is Always 3:36
7-15 When The Sun Comes Out 4:03
7-16 What Is There To Say 3:39
7-17 Everything I've Got Belongs To You 2:41
7-18 We Could Make Such Beautiful Music 3:13
7-19 It Might As Well Be Spring 3:50
7-20 Yesterdays 4:59

Bass Jimmie Burke - Drums „Philly“ Joe Jones (#7 #8 #15) / Ed Thigpen
(#9 to #13 #16) - Flute Herbie Mann - Piano Joe Berle - Trumpet Chet Baker -
Vocals Johnny Pace

CD 8
Chet Baker In New York
8-1 Fair Weather 6:56
8-2 Polka Dots And Moonbeams 7:58
8-3 Hotel 49 9:52
8-4 Solar 5:52
8-5 Blue Thoughts 7:35
8-6 When Lights Are Low 6:52

Bass Paul Chambers – Drums „Philly“ Joe Jones - Piano Al Haig - Tenor
Saxophone Johnny Griffin - Trumpet Chet Baker

Chet
8-7 Alone Together 6:51
8-8 How High The Moon 3:35
8-9 It Never Entered My Mind 4:37
8-10 'Tis Autumn 5:14
8-11 If You Could See Me Now 5:13
8-12 September Song 3:02
8-13 You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To 4:32

Baritone Saxophone Pepper Adams - Bass Paul Chambers -Drums „Philly“
Joe Jones (#10 #14 #15)/Connie Kay (#7 #8 #9 #11 #12 #13) - Flute Herbie
Mann - Guitar Kenny Burrell (#9 #12) - Piano Bill Evans - Trumpet Chet Baker

CD 9
Chet Baker Plays The Best Of Lerner & Loewe
9-1 I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face 4:14
9-2 I Could Have Danced All Night 3:40
9-3 The Heather On The Hill 5:04
9-4 On The Street Where You Live 8:35
9-5 Almost Like Being In Love 4:51
9-6 Thank Heaven For Little Girls 4:34
9-7 I Talk To The Trees 5:50

Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone Zoot Sims - Baritone Saxophone Pepper
Adams - Bass Earl May

Chet Baker In Milan
9-8 Lady Bird 4:45
9-9 Cheryl Blues 4:59
9-10 Tune Up 5:18
9-11 Line For Lyons 7:46
9-12 Pent Up House 5:00
9-13 Look For The Silver Lining 4:34
9-14 Indian Summer 5:15
9-15 My Old Flame 4:57

Alto Saxophone Glauco Masetti (#9 #10 #12 #13 #14 #16) - Bass Franco
Cerri - Drums Gene Victory - Tenor Saxophone Gianni Basso (#9 #10 #13
#13 #14 #16) - Piano Renato Sellani - Trumpet Chet Baker

CD 10
Chet Is Back
10-1 Well You Needn't 6:22
10-2 These Foolish Things 4:55
10-3 Barbados 8:26
10-4 Star Eyes 6:58
10-5 Over The Rainbow 3:30
10-6 Pent Up House 6:52
10-7 Ballata In Forma Di Blues 10:03
10-8 Blues In The Closet 7:42
Playboys
10-9 Little Girl 4:17

Bass Benoit Quersin - Drums Daniel Humair - Guitar René Thomas - Piano
Amedeo Tommasi - Tenor Saxophone, Flute Bobby Jaspar - Trumpet Chet
Baker

Chet
10-10 Time On My Hands 4:33
10-11 You And The Night And The Music 4:07

Chet Baker Plays The Best Of Lerner & Loewe
10-12 Show Me