Riverside Profiles

Performer: Chet Baker (Trumpet/Vocals/Composer)
Producer: Nick Phillips (Compilation)
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Contains a bonus disc featuring tracks from other Riverside artists. Personnel: Chet Baker (vocals, trumpet); Chet Baker ; Kenny Burrell (guitar, piano); Wes Montgomery (guitar); Zoot Sims & His Five Brothers, Glauco Masetti (alto saxophone); Gianni Basso, Johnny Griffin (tenor saxophone); Bob Corwin, Kenny Drew, Al Haig, Renato Sellani, Thelonious Monk (piano); Clifford Jarvis, Connie Kay, Gene Victory, Philly Joe Jones (drums); Herbie Mann (flute, tenor saxophone); Pepper Adams (baritone saxophone); Bill Evans (piano); Paul Chambers, Cannonball Adderley Quartet. Audio Remasterer: Joe Tarantino. Liner Note Author: James Rozzi. Recording information: Milan, Italy (08/1958-10/1959); New York, NY (08/1958-10/1959); Reeves Sound Studios, New York, NY (08/1958-10/1959). Photographer: William Claxton. Arranger: Giulio Libano. Chet Baker recorded a lot of excellent music over the course of his lengthy career, but his late 1950s dates for Riverside rank among his finest. Baker was one of the few artists to truly transcend the "cool" style, creating with his restrained and delicate approach to the trumpet (and to his singing) some of the most lyrical, delicate, and emotionally powerful work in jazz. This 11-track compilation shouldn't take the place of Baker's studio albums of the time, but it's a wonderfully assembled introduction to the artist. "Look for the Silver Lining," "September Song," and "Almost Like Being in Love" are highlights, but every tune here is a gem. Included is a bonus compilation disc of other Riverside artists from the period, including Wes Montgomery, Charlie Byrd, and Thelonious Monk. Riverside Profiles collects tracks recorded by trumpeter/vocalist Chet Baker in the late '50s. This was a troubled period personally for the iconic jazz artist as he had become addicted to heroin. Nonetheless, these are some of the most beautiful, melodic and improvisationally muscular of Baker's cuts and easily stand next to his legendary Pacific Jazz recordings. Included are such stand-out tracks as "Do It The Hard Way" off his 1958 album Chet Baker Sings It Could Happen To You, "September Song" off 1959's Chet and "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" off Baker's highly-under appreciated 1958 session In New York. While most Baker aficionados will have or want to get the full albums, Riverside Profiles is still a great introduction to this part of Baker's career. Included is a bonus compilation disc of other artists in the Riverside Profiles series. ~ Matt Collar

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