Chet Baker – Chet Is Back

Chet Baker was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist who earned much attention and critical praise through the 1950s, particularly for albums featuring his vocals (Chet Baker Sings, It Could Happen to You). Jazz historian Dave Gelly described the promise of Baker’s early career as “James Dean, Sinatra, and Bix, rolled into one.” Baker was a heroin addict and was in and out of jail frequently, something that had an effect on his career. He managed to get back on his feet and enjoyed a career resurgence in the late 1970s and ’80s, mostly in Europe where he lived and played. Chet Is back! is a studio album recorded in Rome, Italy in 1962 at RCA’s Studios. It features bop-oriented tunes such as “Pent-Up House” and “Well, You Needn’t”. The album features an original composition, “Ballata in forma di blues” (“A Ballad in Blues Style”), by Amedeo Tommasi. Ballads are featured, including “Over the Rainbow”, “Star Eyes”, and “These Foolish Things”. Compositions by other jazz musicians are also featured, such as Thelonious Monk’s “Well, You Needn’t”, Sonny Rollins’ “Pent Up House”, Charlie Parker’s “Barbados”, and Oscar Pettiford’s “Blues in the Closet”.

180 gram pure virgin vinyl
Limited Edition Deluxe Gatefold
Label: Jazz Images
Cat. # 37014