CATERINA VALENTE & CHET BAKER - I’ll Remember April
Blue Moon BMCD 856
Tracks 1 & 15
Caterina Valente ( vocal / gtr ) & Chet Baker ( tpt )
Recorded Baden-Baden, 26 March 1956
Tracks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10,12, 13,17,19,21 & 22
Caterina Valente ( vocal ) with Kurt Edelhagen’s Orchestra
Recorded Baden-Baden, 1984 & 1958
Tracks 3, 9, 16 & 18
Chet Baker ( tpt ) with Kurt Edelhagen’s Orchestra
Recorded Baden-Baden, 1956
Tracks 5, 711, 14 & 20
Chet Baker with orchestra conducted by Hans Muller
Recorded Baden-Baden, 1959
Tracks 23
Chet Baker Quartet with Kurt Edelhagen’s Orchestra
Recorded Schloss, 20 September 1955
Track 24
Caterina Valente ( vocal ) accompanied by Francis Coppieters ( pno )
Recorded Koln, May 1958
Bonus track 25
Chet Baker with orchestra conducted by Piero Umiliani ( from the Italian movie “Urlaton alta sbarra” 1960)
Although this album is titled “Caterina Valente and Chet Baker” they only actually appaer together on two tracks but that does not detract too much from the merit of the album. The more interesting traks are the ones that feature Chet Baker as he was playing particularly well during this period.
Eighteen of the twenty four tracks feature either Chet Baker or Caterina Valente with the Kurt Edelhagen Orchestra which was one of the best European big bands active during the Fifties.
The Caterina Valente tracks are uneven but each have something to offer, her accent seems to vary from track to track at times being quite strong and on others barely detectable.
“I Get a Kick out of You” is one of the better up tempo vocal tracks with some sparkling alto breaks, possibly by Derek Humble who was playing with the Kurt Edelhagen band during this period Three other Caterina Valente vocals worthy of note are, “Don’t Worry About Me”, “Stairway to the Stars” and “You Better Go Now”, all are sung with feeling and are nicely phrased.
Caterina Valente scat singing would be best left to other singers who are better equipped in that area but luckily there are only a few tracks where It is featured.
Chet Baker is at is lyrical best on all his tracks and are the highlight of the album.and his style is well suited to string backing where the arrangement calls for it but it’s the big band tracks that shine.
The strings and brass backing behind Chet Baker’s nicely paced trumpet playing on “Marilyn” works particularly well. Chet Baker’s trumpet on “Isn’t it Romantic” is just that accompanied by the surging strings of the Rolf-Hans Muller Orchestra.
The Jack Montrose composition “Bockhanal” has a tricky theme but Chet Baker copes with it’s many twists and turns and although it is not credited this is obviously a live performance.
The bonus track “Arrivederci” is taken from a film soundtrack and contains some dialogue as well as Chet’s vocal which is very endearing in his laid back style and the track has lots of atmosphere.
This release is well worth purchasing for the Chet Baker tracks alone but there are enough Caterina Valente stylish vocals to warrant their inclusion.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
Blue Moon BMCD 856
Tracks 1 & 15
Caterina Valente ( vocal / gtr ) & Chet Baker ( tpt )
Recorded Baden-Baden, 26 March 1956
Tracks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10,12, 13,17,19,21 & 22
Caterina Valente ( vocal ) with Kurt Edelhagen’s Orchestra
Recorded Baden-Baden, 1984 & 1958
Tracks 3, 9, 16 & 18
Chet Baker ( tpt ) with Kurt Edelhagen’s Orchestra
Recorded Baden-Baden, 1956
Tracks 5, 711, 14 & 20
Chet Baker with orchestra conducted by Hans Muller
Recorded Baden-Baden, 1959
Tracks 23
Chet Baker Quartet with Kurt Edelhagen’s Orchestra
Recorded Schloss, 20 September 1955
Track 24
Caterina Valente ( vocal ) accompanied by Francis Coppieters ( pno )
Recorded Koln, May 1958
Bonus track 25
Chet Baker with orchestra conducted by Piero Umiliani ( from the Italian movie “Urlaton alta sbarra” 1960)
Although this album is titled “Caterina Valente and Chet Baker” they only actually appaer together on two tracks but that does not detract too much from the merit of the album. The more interesting traks are the ones that feature Chet Baker as he was playing particularly well during this period.
Eighteen of the twenty four tracks feature either Chet Baker or Caterina Valente with the Kurt Edelhagen Orchestra which was one of the best European big bands active during the Fifties.
The Caterina Valente tracks are uneven but each have something to offer, her accent seems to vary from track to track at times being quite strong and on others barely detectable.
“I Get a Kick out of You” is one of the better up tempo vocal tracks with some sparkling alto breaks, possibly by Derek Humble who was playing with the Kurt Edelhagen band during this period Three other Caterina Valente vocals worthy of note are, “Don’t Worry About Me”, “Stairway to the Stars” and “You Better Go Now”, all are sung with feeling and are nicely phrased.
Caterina Valente scat singing would be best left to other singers who are better equipped in that area but luckily there are only a few tracks where It is featured.
Chet Baker is at is lyrical best on all his tracks and are the highlight of the album.and his style is well suited to string backing where the arrangement calls for it but it’s the big band tracks that shine.
The strings and brass backing behind Chet Baker’s nicely paced trumpet playing on “Marilyn” works particularly well. Chet Baker’s trumpet on “Isn’t it Romantic” is just that accompanied by the surging strings of the Rolf-Hans Muller Orchestra.
The Jack Montrose composition “Bockhanal” has a tricky theme but Chet Baker copes with it’s many twists and turns and although it is not credited this is obviously a live performance.
The bonus track “Arrivederci” is taken from a film soundtrack and contains some dialogue as well as Chet’s vocal which is very endearing in his laid back style and the track has lots of atmosphere.
This release is well worth purchasing for the Chet Baker tracks alone but there are enough Caterina Valente stylish vocals to warrant their inclusion.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
