CHET BAKER - Big Band
Essential Jazz Classics EJC55664
Tracks 1, 7 & 10
Chet Baker ( tpt ) Conte Candoli ( tpt ) Norman Raye ( tpt ) Frank Rosolino ( tmb ) Bud Shank ( alto ) Art Pepper ( alto ) Phil Urso ( tnr ) Bill Perkins ( tnr ) Bobby Timmons ( pno ) Jimmy Bond ( bass ) Lawrence Marable ( drs ) Jimmy Heath ( arr )
Recorded Los Angeles, 26th October 1956
Tracks 2 to 6 & 8 to 9
Chet Baker ( tpt ) Bob Burgess ( tmb ) Fred Waters ( alto ) Phil Urso ( tnr ) Bob Graf ( tnr ) Bill Hood ( bar ) Bobby Timmons ( pno ) Jimmy Bond ( bass ) Peter Littman ( drs ) James McLean ( drs )Track 3
Arrangers Pierre Michelot, Phil Urso & Christian Chevallier
Recorded Los Angeles, 18th October 1956
Bonus tracks 11 to 16
Chet Baker ( tpt ) Bob Brookmeyer ( v-tmb ) Bud Shank ( bar ) Russ Freeman ( pno ) Carson Smith
( bass ) Shelly Manne ( drs )
Recorded Los Angeles, September 1954
Bonus tracks 17 to 19
Chet Baker ( tpt ) Benny Vasseur ( tmb ) Teddy Ameline ( alto ) Armand Migiani ( tnr ) William Boucaya ( bar ) Francy Boland ( pno ) Benoit Quersin ( bass ) Pierre Leached ( drs ) Pierre Michelot ( conductor )
Recorded Paris, 15th March 1956
Bonus track 20
Chet Baker ( tpt ) Benny Vasseur ( tmb ) Jean Aldegon ( alto ) Armand Migiani ( tnr ) William Boucaya ( barr ) Rene Urteger ( pno ) Jimmy Bond ( bass ) Bert Dahlander ( drs )
Recorded Paris, 25th October 1955
Although this album is titled “Chet Baker Big Band” the groups are only of moderate size, eleven and nine piece aggregations though this does not detract from the quality of the music The bonus tracks consist of two Octets and one sextet which are welcome and give a further dimension to the album.
Chet Baker is a much more forceful player on these sides than he was with his own Quartet and the Gerry Mulligan Quartet where is playing was more reflective and slightly hesitant.
The album opens with a sprightly arrangement by Jimmy Heath of the standard “A Foggy Day” which has some hard hitting trumpet by Chet and pithy contributions by Phil Urso on tenor and Bobby Timmons at the piano, a fine start to the album.
There is a glorious arrangement by Phil Urso of the old Miff Mole tune “Worryin’ the Life Out of Me” which gets to the heart of the song and features the leader in marvellous form and has short but telling contributions from the arranger on tenor and Bobby Timmons on piano but it is Chet who shines.
Phil Urso’s arrangement of his own composition “Phil’s Blues” is a swinger and apart from himself on tenor Bud Shank’s booting baritone adds to the proceedings.
The ballad “Darn That Dream” a favourite of Baker’s is arranged by Jimmy Heath and Chet delivers with a tasteful solo, there is also some nice section work by the saxophones.
Apart from Chet’s hard hitting trumpet on the medium paced “Tenderly” it is Art Pepper’s alto which steals the show on Jimmy Heath’s splendid arrangement.
The six Sextet sides are a real bonus with some wonderful solos from Bud Shank on baritone, Bob Brookmeyer on valve trombone and Russ Freeman on piano all driven along by the tasteful Shelly Manne on drums.
These six tracks consist of three originals and three standards, of the standards “Stella by Starlight” is the most interesting and apart from Chet there are interesting solos from Bud Shank and Bob Brookmeyer as well as a typical romping piano solo by Russ Freeman.
On the face of it “Little Man You’ve Had a Busy Day” is an unlikely source of material but it works surprisingly well with a good Bob Brookmeyer solo.
The three originals are written by Bill Holman, Johnny Mandel, and Jack Montrose, it is Bill Holman’s lively “The Half Dozens” which stands out with great solos by all the front line. Not far behind is Johnny Mandel’s “Tommyhawk” and it’s Russ Freeman’s stomping piano solo which stands out.
The four tracks recorded in Paris with French musicians do not have the same immediacy as the Sextet tracks but nevertheless have some good solos from Chet Baker.and are well worth inclusion on the album.
The whole album provides some fine music and Chet Baker is playing at the top of his form and is therefore highly recommended.
Essential Jazz Classics EJC55664
Tracks 1, 7 & 10
Chet Baker ( tpt ) Conte Candoli ( tpt ) Norman Raye ( tpt ) Frank Rosolino ( tmb ) Bud Shank ( alto ) Art Pepper ( alto ) Phil Urso ( tnr ) Bill Perkins ( tnr ) Bobby Timmons ( pno ) Jimmy Bond ( bass ) Lawrence Marable ( drs ) Jimmy Heath ( arr )
Recorded Los Angeles, 26th October 1956
Tracks 2 to 6 & 8 to 9
Chet Baker ( tpt ) Bob Burgess ( tmb ) Fred Waters ( alto ) Phil Urso ( tnr ) Bob Graf ( tnr ) Bill Hood ( bar ) Bobby Timmons ( pno ) Jimmy Bond ( bass ) Peter Littman ( drs ) James McLean ( drs )Track 3
Arrangers Pierre Michelot, Phil Urso & Christian Chevallier
Recorded Los Angeles, 18th October 1956
Bonus tracks 11 to 16
Chet Baker ( tpt ) Bob Brookmeyer ( v-tmb ) Bud Shank ( bar ) Russ Freeman ( pno ) Carson Smith
( bass ) Shelly Manne ( drs )
Recorded Los Angeles, September 1954
Bonus tracks 17 to 19
Chet Baker ( tpt ) Benny Vasseur ( tmb ) Teddy Ameline ( alto ) Armand Migiani ( tnr ) William Boucaya ( bar ) Francy Boland ( pno ) Benoit Quersin ( bass ) Pierre Leached ( drs ) Pierre Michelot ( conductor )
Recorded Paris, 15th March 1956
Bonus track 20
Chet Baker ( tpt ) Benny Vasseur ( tmb ) Jean Aldegon ( alto ) Armand Migiani ( tnr ) William Boucaya ( barr ) Rene Urteger ( pno ) Jimmy Bond ( bass ) Bert Dahlander ( drs )
Recorded Paris, 25th October 1955
Although this album is titled “Chet Baker Big Band” the groups are only of moderate size, eleven and nine piece aggregations though this does not detract from the quality of the music The bonus tracks consist of two Octets and one sextet which are welcome and give a further dimension to the album.
Chet Baker is a much more forceful player on these sides than he was with his own Quartet and the Gerry Mulligan Quartet where is playing was more reflective and slightly hesitant.
The album opens with a sprightly arrangement by Jimmy Heath of the standard “A Foggy Day” which has some hard hitting trumpet by Chet and pithy contributions by Phil Urso on tenor and Bobby Timmons at the piano, a fine start to the album.
There is a glorious arrangement by Phil Urso of the old Miff Mole tune “Worryin’ the Life Out of Me” which gets to the heart of the song and features the leader in marvellous form and has short but telling contributions from the arranger on tenor and Bobby Timmons on piano but it is Chet who shines.
Phil Urso’s arrangement of his own composition “Phil’s Blues” is a swinger and apart from himself on tenor Bud Shank’s booting baritone adds to the proceedings.
The ballad “Darn That Dream” a favourite of Baker’s is arranged by Jimmy Heath and Chet delivers with a tasteful solo, there is also some nice section work by the saxophones.
Apart from Chet’s hard hitting trumpet on the medium paced “Tenderly” it is Art Pepper’s alto which steals the show on Jimmy Heath’s splendid arrangement.
The six Sextet sides are a real bonus with some wonderful solos from Bud Shank on baritone, Bob Brookmeyer on valve trombone and Russ Freeman on piano all driven along by the tasteful Shelly Manne on drums.
These six tracks consist of three originals and three standards, of the standards “Stella by Starlight” is the most interesting and apart from Chet there are interesting solos from Bud Shank and Bob Brookmeyer as well as a typical romping piano solo by Russ Freeman.
On the face of it “Little Man You’ve Had a Busy Day” is an unlikely source of material but it works surprisingly well with a good Bob Brookmeyer solo.
The three originals are written by Bill Holman, Johnny Mandel, and Jack Montrose, it is Bill Holman’s lively “The Half Dozens” which stands out with great solos by all the front line. Not far behind is Johnny Mandel’s “Tommyhawk” and it’s Russ Freeman’s stomping piano solo which stands out.
The four tracks recorded in Paris with French musicians do not have the same immediacy as the Sextet tracks but nevertheless have some good solos from Chet Baker.and are well worth inclusion on the album.
The whole album provides some fine music and Chet Baker is playing at the top of his form and is therefore highly recommended.
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Reviewed by Roy Booth
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