Chet Baker recorded enough stuff to fill 4 CD's in his Barclay sessions. This was among his best work with a lack of vocals. Chet's trumpet playing was much improved (and his teeth were still intact).

This CD is a "best-of" culled from those sessions. There is a BIG difference in mood in the CD, The upbeat songs are peppy but the ballads are quite sad even for Chet. After the recording of the first CD's worth of stuff, his piano player Dick Twardzik, one of the best who ever accompanied Chet, died. And this seemed to deepen the melancholy of the ballads (see Alone Together, or Tenderly).

But all of this is well worth having. This (or, prehaps, his work with Gerry Mulligan) is Chet at the pinnacle of his early career, before his bad habits over took him.

The sound is an improvement over the originals.

This is vintage early Chet Baker. He was apparently unknown (in Europe)and was in France for the first time. He put together a couple of groups which are on this teaser CD (I expect that Verve will evenually release the whole four CD set). I think that Baker improve significantly over the next twenty years, despite his self-destructive tendencies. The CD reflects the sound of Chet after leaving the Jerry Mulligan group. It is an engaging, simpler sound. These sessions are well recorded, considering they were done in the mid-50's. This is an enjoyable CD.

I was put on to this record by Hans Peters, a Detroit audiophile who recommended it highly. I was not misled. This CD exemplifies the cool West Coast scene but in a European context. There are shades of Curthis Counce's trumpet player Jack Sheldon as the tracks bring back those memories of the Barclay Sessions. One of the best periods of Baker's recording career, highly recommended.