Yet another unearthed Chet Baker 'treasure'. This one recorded in Paris in 1988, only months before the trumpet player's mysterious death. Initially recorded as a 'dream project' by Norwegian poet Jan Erik Vold who envisioned a collaboration blending jazz with poetic expression. However, for this album the poetry has been omitted and we have to settle for the music.
A selection of well known standards with three alternate takes, three originals by Kapstad and a traditional Norwegian folk song make up the sixteen tracks. Italian guitarist Stilo only plays on the first five tracks before the band stopped for a break and he did a runner with Chet's mouthpiece. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your point of view, he was apprehended and the session continued with Catherine on guitar. No explanation was ever given.
Baker plays as well as his fading technique allowed: cutting his coat according to his cloth which had always been his modus operandi and, if that failed he could always sing. There's only one 'vocal' here, a gentle wordless take on How High the Moon.
Of the two guitarists, both are light-fingered albeit in different interpretations of the term with some agile solos from Catherine although when piano and guitar combine in a drummerless rhythm section the end result often tends to be rather plodding.
If you are a Baker completist you'll want this, warts and all. Others may want to have a taste first. Although the new 2-LP & Digipack CD are not due out until October 18 it seems to have been doing the rounds on YouTube for sometime so check it out HERE. Lance
Skylark; If You Could See me Now; The Bird From Kapingamarangi; How High the Moon; Makin' Whoopee; The Ballad of Buttersmile; Body and Soul; Alice in Wonderland; Blåmann, Blåmann; Children's Waltz; Love For Sale; My Foolish Heart; I Want a Little Girl; Body and Soul (alt. take); If You Could See me Now (alt. take); Makin' Whoopee (alt. take)
2 comments :
Not the most generous of reviews (e..g. the sarcastic "treasure"). Given the appalling circumstances of his life, especially as the 1980s wore on, I always found the calmness in his playing incredible. He had a tremendous sense of beauty in his tone and delivery. God knows what occasioned the extraordinary theft of his mouthpiece - a joke that went wrong, perhaps? - they had worked together often at the start of the decade (several LPs issued on the Circle label recorded at the Subway Club out of Germany). Unlike this reviewer I am glad it was restored to him. I shall be buying the CD, and I am not expecting to hear Dizzy or Roy Eldridge. Perhaps,if the reviewer thinks he could do better, he should get himself a trumpet and a trio and show us what he can do?. Not that easy with just trumpet, guitar and bass. Chet had made several Steeplechase LPs with Doug Raney at the end of the 1970s and they were great.
Alan, thank you for your comment. Like yourself, I too am a great admirer of the work of Chet Baker from all periods of his tragic life including his latter years. Indeed, for me, much of his later work had a more emotional appeal than some of his earlier work. In particular the London sessions recorded over six nights at the Canteen in 1983 which are a couple of my favourite albums. As such, I was doubly disappointed that, in my opinion, Late Night Jazz didn't quite cut it for me. I hope you get more out of it. I wasn't expecting to hear Dizzy or Roy but I was hoping to hear the latterday Chet whose sound could tear at your heartstrings like few others.
As regards getting a trumpet to see if I can do better .... If that criteria were to be applied then the so-called pundits in music, sports, politics - you name it - would be made redundant overnight. Having said that, I appreciate your observations and you are welcome to join our reviewing team (gigs, albums, whatever) let me know via email: lanceliddle@gmail.com.
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