Top Picks
Chet Baker
Complete Barclay Recordings of Chet Baker, Vol. 1: Chet in Paris, EmArcy. Legendary Dick Twardzik, piano
Time After Time, Membran International. 4-CD retrospective including much of the great earlier material
Chet Baker Quartet
Live, Vol. 1: This Time the Dream’s on Me, Blue Note. Russ Freeman, piano
Live, Vol. 2: Out of Nowhere, Blue Note. Russ Freeman, piano
Live, Vol. 3: My Old Flame, Blue Note. Russ Freeman, piano
Chet Baker Quartet Live!: On the Road in L.A. & Boston ’54, Giant Steps. 2-CD set of Pacific Jazz quartets and another alternative or supplementary purchase to the first three recordings listed above
Chet Baker Quintet
Chet Baker & Crew, Pacific Jazz. Phil Urso, tenor sax; Bobby Timmons, piano; Jimmy Bond, bass; and Peter Littman, drums—again, a decidedly grooving, straight-ahead approach to savor
At the Forum Theater, Fresh Sound. Companion recording to Chet Baker & Crew with identical personnel
Chet Baker-Russ Freeman: A Grand Encounter, Giant Steps. 2-CD set of Pacific Jazz quartets and an alternative purchase to the 3 live Blue Note recordings listed above
Russ Freeman-Chet Baker: Quartet, Blue Note. Russ Freeman, piano; Leroy Vinnegar, bass; Shelly Manne, drums – a priority recording not to be confused with the stylistically limiting West Coast Jazz
Chet Baker-Art Pepper: Playboys or Picture of Heath, Pacific Jazz. Phil Urso, tenor sax; Carl Perkins, piano; Curtis Counce, bass; Larance Marable, drums
Gerry Mulligan Quartet
Complete Pacific Jazz Recordings of the Gerry Mulligan Quartet with Chet Baker, Pacific Jazz. 4-CD set
Konitz Meets Mulligan, Pacific Jazz. Performances of Lee Konitz, alto sax, are stunning.
Original Mulligan Quartet, Pacific Jazz. A basic representation of the 4-disc set above
Superior
Chet Baker Quintet
Blues for a Reason, Criss Cross. Warne Marsh, tenor sax; Cecil McBee, bass; Eddie Gladden, drums
Most Important Jazz Album of 1964/65, Roulette. Phil Urso, tenor sax; Hal Galper, piano
Chet Baker Sextet: The Italian Sessions, Bluebird/RCA. Bobby Jaspar, tenor sax; Rene Thomas, guitar
Excellent
Chet Baker: Chet Baker Ensemble, Pacific Jazz. Herb Geller, alto sax; Jack Montrose, tenor sax; Russ Freeman, piano; Shelly Manne, drums
Chet Baker Quintet
On a Misty Night; Lonely Star and Stairway to the Stars, a 3-disc series on OJC/Prestige with George Coleman, tenor sax; Kirk Lightsey, piano; Herman Wright, bass; Roy Brooks, drums
Chet Baker in New York, OJC/Riverside. Johnny Griffin, tenor sax; Al Haig, piano; Paul Chambers, bass; Philly Joe Jones, drums
Once Upon a Summertime, OJC/Galaxy. Harold Danko, piano; Ron Carter, bass; Mel Lewis, drums
Live at Pueblo, Colorado 1966, CC Baker. Phil Urso, tenor sax, featured
Chet Baker-Stan Getz
L.A. Get Together, Fresh Sound. Carson Smith, bass; Larry Bunker, drums
West Coast Live, Blue Note. Carson Smith, bass; Larry Bunker, drums; and Russ Freeman, piano; on a few remaining tracks the drummer is Shelly Manne
Questionable
Most Chet Baker releases after 1965 under his own name. From the mid-1960s until the time of his death, caution is the primary prerequisite to enjoying the nomadic trumpeter.