The Gerry Mulligan Quartet of 1952-53 was one of the best-loved jazz groups of the decade and it made stars out of both the leader and trumpeter Chet Baker. Mulligan and Baker had very few reunions after 1953 but this particular CD from 1957 is an exception. Although not quite possessing the magic of the earlier group, the music is quite enjoyable and the interplay between the two horns is still special. With expert backup by bassist Henry Grimes and drummer Dave Bailey, these 13 selections (plus two new alternate takes) should please fans of both Mulligan and Baker.

For some, the most important part about this recording will be the two tracks ("Ray's Ideas" and "Everything Happens to Me") on which Chet Baker blows trumpet and sings. While Baker is not in top form, he is a fine complement to the group sound. Lightsey's trio (with bassist David Eubanks and drummer Eddie Gladden) picks an interesting collection of pieces for the remainder of the program, with his well-known Wayne Shorter emphasis. A largely uneventful, if nonetheless relaxingly swinging set, Lightsey deftly walks through the chords with consummate skill. An underrated performer, the pianist is a skillful interpreter of American song, a performer who understands the meanings of tunes and infuses them with his own interpretations. Not terribly innovative, Lightsey is one of those few serious mainstream jazz piano soloists who pushes the edges ever so slightly but feels comfortable smack dab in the middle of traditional interplay.

There may never be another Chet Baker, but on this particular night in Zagreb, poor Baker was not playing his best: His chops are weak, and his voice is strained and shallow. Still, these four duos, with longtime collaborator, guitarist Philip Catherine, have their rewards, such as the lengthy, substantial, and melodic solos by the guitarist. There is also the opportunity to hear Baker's piano playing at length. On piano, Chet Baker was even sparser than on trumpet, perhaps due to his weaker technique on the former. As with the trumpet, though, his choice of notes was always immaculate, and Baker fans will want this disc for the novelty of his piano playing. As far as his trumpet playing goes, there are much better examples of these tunes elsewhere, particularly of "My Foolish Heart" and "There'll Never Be Another You."

The quality of Chet Baker's product was so varied during the last decade or more of his life that recording sessions varied markedly. For this "remixed version" of Mr. B Baker sounds a tad tired, though his chops are in fine form. The studio recording captures the trumpeter with highly sympathetic and self-effacing pianist Michel Grallier and bassist Ricardo Del Fra, both of whom engage in the leader's brand of sensitivity. There are no vocals by the trumpeter, but plenty of improvising. The interesting tune selection features a few songs played often by Baker (such as Wayne Shorter's "Dolphin Dance" and Horace Silver's "Strollin'"), but several that are not associated with him at all (Grallier's "White Blues" and his gorgeous "Father X-mas," to name a couple). There is a sadness permeating the trumpeter's sound throughout, exacerbated by the lazy, sometimes sluggish, tempos. A deep and touching beauty can be felt, marking this as one of Chet's best from the period.

The ultra-hip and sophisticated "cool jazz" that Chet Baker (trumpet/vocals) helped define in the early '50s matured rapidly under the tutelage of producer Dick Bock. This can be traced to Baker's earliest sides on Bock's L.A.-based Pacific Jazz label. This album is the result of Baker's first sessions for the independent Riverside label. The Chet Baker Quartet featured on Chet Baker Sings: It Could Happen to You includes Kenny Drew (piano), Sam Jones (bass), and Philly Joe Jones (drums). (Performances by bassist George Morrow and drummer Dannie Richmond are featured on a few cuts.) This results in the successful combination of Baker's fluid and nonchalant West Coast delivery with the tight swinging accuracy of drummer Jones and pianist Drew…

During his extended "stay" in Europe circa the late '50s and early '60s, Chet Baker produced half a dozen albums for the Riverside Records subsidiary label Jazzland. On Chet Baker in Milan – the first of his overseas sides – Baker revisits the familiar stomping grounds of West Coast cool, even though he is the only American in the band. The basic quartet includes Chet Baker (trumpet), Renato Sellani (piano), Franco Serri (bass), and Gene Victory (drums). However, on a majority of the cuts, that unit is upgraded to a sextet with sax players Glauco Masetti (alto) and Gianno Basso (tenor). According to Peter Drew's brief liner notes essay, these Italian players were found by a local record label and arrangements were essentially retrofitted to suit Baker.

This collection compiles, for the first time ever on a single set, all existing studio recordings of Chet Baker singing from 1953 (his earliest vocal recordings) until 1962.
The music on this CD puts Chet Baker on the scene not just as a brilliant trumpeter, but also as a talented singer. These songs were a revelation at the time and won Baker new fame and a new audience, which was less familiar with jazz than with pop music. The reasons are quite clear: Chet's voice is tender and beautiful, and at the same time his phrasing always swings and surprises. Among the contents of this set are the complete original albums Chet Baker Sings and Chet Baker Sings It Could Happen to You, plus all other existing studio vocal sides within that period.

This Is Jazz, Vol. 2 isn't an ideal overview of Chet Baker's seminal Columbia recordings, but it isn't bad, either. Many of the featured 16 songs are among Baker's very best, giving novices a good idea of the sound, style, and depth of his music, even if it doesn't provide an ideal context. Nevertheless, This Is Jazz doesn't intend to provide context, which will undoubtedly frustrate collectors and jazz purists. However, it does succeed in offering an affordable sampler of his classic Columbia recordings for curious listeners – and it succeeds quite well in that regard.

Recorded in stereo by Radio France at La Esplanade de La Défense (July 17, 1983) and Le Petit Opportun (February 7, 1984). Both concerts are distinguished by the dazzling playing of the virtuosic pianist Michel Graillier, who performed regularly with Baker’s combos from 1977 until Baker’s death in 1988.

Blue Room: The 1979 VARA Studio Sessions in Holland features two previously unissued lost studio sessions of trumpet/vocal icon Chet Baker captured in glorious stereo at the legendary VARA studio 2 in Hilversum, the Netherlands for the KRO radio program Nine O’Clock Jazz. The April 10, 1979 session features pianist Phil Markowitz, bassist Jean-Louis Rassinfosse, and drummer Charles Rice; and the November 9th session features pianist Frans Elsen, bassist Victor Kaihatu, and drummer Eric Ineke. Both sessions were originally produced by Edwin Rutten and Lex Lammen for KRO-NCRV, and are now being produced for release officially for the first time by “jazz detective” Zev Feldman and Frank Jochemsen. Transferred from the original KRO radio tape reels.

Chet Baker recorded many albums in Europe during his final decade. This LP matches his trumpet with pianist Phil Markowitz, bassist Jean-Francois Jenny Clark and drummer Jeff Brillinger for a date in Paris. Chet sings on "Oh You Crazy Moon" and stretches out on trumpet during a fresh repertoire that includes "Broken Wing," Wayne Shorter's "Black Eyes," "How Deep Is the Ocean?" and Baker's own "Blue Gilles." Even with his chaotic lifestyle, most of Chet Baker's recordings are worth acquiring and Broken Wing is better than average.