My Funny Valentine: Chet Baker Plays And Sings For Lovers (CD)

As the poster boy for cool jazz in the '50s, trumpeter and vocalist Chet Baker symbolized, at least briefly, that decade's soulful underside. But rather than ascend the throne of celebrity, he remained the outsider, the quintessential beautiful loser. For the next three decades, Baker wandered in and out of the spotlight, with moments of brilliance scattered amidst physical decline and personal travails. After getting his teeth knocked out in a drug-related scuffle, he quit playing for years. When he finally returned he was still powerful, but something of a haunted presence. An acclaimed Baker documentary, LET'S GET LOST, was released in 1987, but the next year Baker fell out of a window while under the influence of drugs and died a death as tragic as much of his genius-speckled life.

• Category:  Music  »  Jazz  »  Trumpet
• Format: CD   Learn more about the CD format using Tower WIKI.
• Release Date: January 25, 1994
• Label: Pacific Jazz
• UPC: 724382826224
• WAPI (Tower ID): 105784304
• Average Customer Review:    (1 customer review)
• Tower.com Sales Rank: #8559 in Music (See Top 100 Music Bestsellers)
• #397 in Jazz (See Top 100 Jazz Bestsellers)
• #36 in Trumpet (See Top 100 Trumpet Bestsellers)

•  [Chet Baker - Official Site this link opens a new window] 
  
•  [Chet Baker - Myspacethis link opens a new window] 
  
•  [Chet Baker - Wikipedia Entry this link opens a new window] 
  
•  [Chet Baker - Music at LAST.fmthis link opens a new window] 
  

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Personnel: Chet Baker (vocals, trumpet); Herb Geller (alto & tenor saxophones); Jack Montrose (tenor saxophone); Bud Shank (baritone saxophone, flute); Bob Gordon (baritone saxophone); Bob Brookmeyer (valve trombone); Corky Hale (harp); Pete Jolly, Russ Freeman (piano); Jimmy Bond, Red Mitchell, Joe Mondragon, Leroy Vinnegar, Bob Whitlock, Carson Smith (bass); Lawrence Marable, Bobby White, Larry Bunker, Peter Littman, Stan Levey, Shelly Manne, Bob Neel (drums).

Producer: Richard Bock.

Compilation producer: Michael Cuscuna.

Recorded between July 24, 1953 and July 26, 1956.

This collection of ballads sees Chet Baker at his vocal prime. A thoroughly touching album, MY FUNNY VALENTINE displays Baker's talent and fondness for love songs. Love's gain and loss is explored most poignantly on "Time After Time" and "I Fall in Love Too Easily." On the former, Baker's voice sounds innocent and pure as he croons, "so lucky to be the one you run to see, in the evening, when the day is through."

Baker's trumpet playing is equally tender and amorous, despite the nonchalant and laid-back groove of the music. (Such qualities would later become the hallmarks of the so called "cool" style of jazz.) But on MY FUNNY VALENTINE, Baker is far from cool. Indeed, his singing and trumpet playing is never callous, thick-skinned or unfeeling. In contrast, his approach is warm and affectionate. In fact, Baker may very well be the greatest example of a modern day troubadour.

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