Chet Baker on Prestige

[TheMusicalMarine]

Specifically looking for opinions on the Groovin', Cool Burnin' etc., titles.

Thanks

[Jazz Kat]

[JSngry]

Works for me. I've never been taken by the whole Baker "mystique" thing, which is pretty much absent entirely from these sides. Just good Hard Bop, nothing you've not heard before from other sources, and nothing particularly "deep" or "personal", but the type of stuff that still sounds good anyway.

[Jazz Kat]

Did you hear that music from the lost 1982 session, BUt Not For Me? Baker must of been old by then, but his voice sounds so warm and from like it was when he was a young man.

[B. Goren.]

[sidewinder]

Some interesting information in the Baker bio by James Gavin on these sessions. They were recorded when Baker was 'under contract' to the sinister Richard Carpenter, who also had Tadd Dameron 'under contract' too at this time. Baker met his match with that guy..

[Claude]

I like the 1965 sessions (Groovin' etc) most. Absolutely avoid the european ZYX CDs of these titles (straight reissues of the 5 short albums), because the sound is awful. The US reissues (3 full CDs) are much better. Titles are:

- On A Misty Night

- Stairway To The Stars

- Lonely Star

http://www.fantasyjazz.com/catalog/baker_c_cat2.html

Edited March 30, 2005 by Claude

[robviti]

Absolutely avoid the european ZYX reissues of these titles (straight releases of these 5 short discs), because the sound is awful. The US reissues (3 full CDs) are much better. 

i totally agree with claude. get the domestic reissues.

Edited March 30, 2005 by jazzshrink

[MartyJazz]

I like the 1965 sessions (Groovin' etc) most. Absolutely avoid the european ZYX CDs of these titles (straight reissues of the 5 short albums), because the sound is awful. The US reissues (3 full CDs) are much better. Titles are:

- On A Misty Night

- Stairway To The Stars

- Lonely Star

http://www.fantasyjazz.com/catalog/baker_c_cat2.html

Wonderful suggestion. I have all three and when I play Chet, these are the ones I go to. Excellent recordings that showcase him within a wonderful hard bop group that features some superb George Coleman.

[TheMusicalMarine]

Glad I asked this. I was planning on getting the five short albums from amazon. I'll get the three instead. Thanks to all of you.

[Aftab]

His Fantasy /Riverside/OJC material is not as vital as the PacJazz stuff IMO - but it is cool to have - I would agree that "In Milan" is a standout.

[Bill Fenohr]

There must be some problem with some of the master tapes from the Prestige sessions. Nine of the tracks are issued in mono while the rest of the thirty two tracks are in stereo on the US issues. I wonder if those stereo tapes are damaged or just misplaced.

[Stereojack]

There must be some problem with some of the master tapes from the Prestige sessions. Nine of the tracks are issued in mono while the rest of the thirty two tracks are in stereo on the US issues. I wonder if those stereo tapes are damaged or just misplaced.

I picked up the three CD's when they came out, and was equally disappointed to find that some of the tracks were mono. I have all the albums on vinyl, and they are all stereo. Fantasy has been known to screw things up stereo-wise in the past, for whatever reason.

I love these sessions. I guess because the records were produced by Richard Carpenter, he had them record a number of Tadd Dameron tunes. Maybe Carpenter owned a piece of the publishing? Although Carpenter's motives may have been monetary, the music is wonderful.

[Peter F]

I bought all the Prestige LPs when they were first issued. So very different than the Chet Baker groups on Pacific Jazz.

What a marvelous quintet. The highly underrated Roy Brooks on drums, The rock solid Herman Wright on bass, George Coleman's full throated swinging tenor sax the very personal creative playing of Kirk Lightsey on piano, and the looser, harder swinging playing of Chet Baker.

These sessions especially focused my attention on the playing of Kirk Lightsey. What a fine player he is!!

Peter F