Releasing an entire album under the moniker Chet Baker Big Band is a bit of a misnomer, as only the first four sides actually incorporate an 11-person configuration.
The remaining tracks from the long-player feature a slightly smaller nonet configuration.
Among the luminaries joining Baker (trumpet) and participating in the big-band arrangements are Art Pepper (alto sax), Bud Shank (alto sax), Phil Urso (tenor sax), and Bobby Timmons (piano).
The critical argument proposing that Baker's style is more akin to bop -- and the residual post-bop -- than the West Coast cool that he is often connected with gets tremendous validation throughout not only the four big-band tracks, but also the remainder of the album.
The band bops with tremendous verve behind Baker's unmistakable leads.
Jimmy Heath's ultrahip arrangements -- especially of "Tenderly" and "A Foggy Day" -- allow the soloists to improvise fluidly from within the context of the larger unit.
The Pierre Michelot composition "Mythe" is notable for some outstanding soloing from Baker and Timmons.
It is a shame that poor master tape editing -- a motif that haunts many Dick Bock productions -- mars the overall aesthetic.
Of the nonet sides, the band really jumps and responds best to the original compositions such as Phil Urso's "Phil's Blues" and "V-Line." The horn blend on these recordings is likewise striking.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Foggy DayGeorge Gershwin, Ira Gershwin | Chet Baker | Play | 03:28 | 7 MB | 16 MB |
| 2 | MytheChristian Chevallier, Pierre Michelot | Chet Baker | Play | 04:26 | 10 MB | 20 MB |
| 3 | ChetPierre Michelot | Chet Baker | Play | 04:11 | 9 MB | 17 MB |
| 4 | Not Too SlowChristian Chevallier, Pierre Michelot | Chet Baker | Play | 03:53 | 8 MB | 17 MB |
| 5 | Darn That DreamEddie DeLange, James Van Heusen | Chet Baker | Play | 03:30 | 8 MB | 13 MB |
| 6 | DinahHarry Akst, Sam M. Lewis, Joe Young | Chet Baker | Play | 04:40 | 10 MB | 19 MB |
| 7 | V-LineChristian Chevallier | Chet Baker | Play | 03:25 | 7 MB | 15 MB |
| 8 | TenderlyWalter Gross, Jack Lawrence | Chet Baker | Play | 04:04 | 3 MB | 18 MB |
| 9 | Pkil's Blues | Chet Baker | Play | 04:38 | 10 MB | 21 MB |
| 10 | Worrying The Life Out Of Me | Chet Baker | Play | 05:23 | 12 MB | 19 MB |
| 11 | Little Man You've Had A Bussy Day | Chet Baker | Play | 04:45 | 10 MB | 17 MB |
| 12 | Dots Groovy | Chet Baker | Play | 04:35 | 10 MB | 19 MB |
| 13 | Stella By Starlight | Chet Baker | Play | 03:55 | 8 MB | 15 MB |
| 14 | Tommyhawk | Chet Baker | Play | 03:41 | 8 MB | 17 MB |
| 15 | I'm Glad There Is You | Chet Baker | Play | 03:15 | 7 MB | 11 MB |
| 16 | The Half-Dozens | Chet Baker | Play | 04:10 | 9 MB | 11 MB |
| 66 mins | 145 MB | |||||
| 66 mins | 272 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malcolm Addey | Engineer |
| 2 | Harry Akst | Composer |
| 3 | John Altoon | Artwork, Cover Design |
| 4 | Chet Baker | Primary Artist, Trumpet |
| 5 | Dick Bock | Producer |
| 6 | Richard Bock | Producer |
| 7 | James E. Bond | Bass |
| 8 | Jimmy Bond | Bass |
| 9 | Bob Brookmeyer | Guest Artist, Trombone (Valve) |
| 10 | Bob Burgess | Trombone |
| 11 | Conte Candoli | Guest Artist, Trumpet |
| 12 | Christian Chevallier | Arranger, Composer |
| 13 | Michael Cuscuna | Liner Notes, Reissue Producer |
| 14 | Eddie DeLange | Composer |
| 15 | Norman Faye | Trumpet |
| 16 | Russ Freeman | Guest Artist, Piano |
| 17 | George Gershwin | Composer |
| 18 | Ira Gershwin | Composer |
| 19 | Bob Graf | Sax (Tenor) |
| 20 | Walter Gross | Composer |
| 21 | Jimmy Heath | Arranger |
| 22 | James Van Heusen | Composer |
| 23 | Bill Holman | Arranger |
| 24 | Bill Hood | Baritone, Sax (Baritone) |
| 25 | Jack Lawrence | Composer |
| 26 | Sam M. Lewis | Composer |
| 27 | Peter Littman | Drums |
| 28 | Johnny Mandel | Arranger |
| 29 | Shelly Manne | Drums, Guest Artist |
| 30 | Larance Marable | Drums |
| 31 | James McKean | Drums |
| 32 | James McLean | Drums |
| 33 | Ron McMaster | Mastering, Remastering |
| 34 | Pierre Michelot | Arranger, Composer |
| 35 | Miff Mole | Composer |
| 36 | Jack Montrose | Arranger |
| 37 | Art Pepper | Guest Artist, Sax (Alto) |
| 38 | Bill Perkins | Guest Artist, Sax (Tenor) |
| 39 | Norman Raye | Trumpet |
| 40 | Frank Rosolino | Guest Artist, Trombone |
| 41 | Bob Russell | Composer |
| 42 | Todd Selbert | Liner Notes |
| 43 | Bud Shank | Guest Artist, Sax (Alto), Sax (Baritone) |
| 44 | Frank Signorelli | Composer |
| 45 | Carson Smith | Bass |
| 46 | Bobby Timmons | Guest Artist, Piano |
| 47 | Phil Uno | Sax (Tenor) |
| 48 | Phil Urso | Arranger, Composer, Sax (Alto), Sax (Baritone), Sax (Tenor) |
| 49 | Fred Waters | Sax (Alto) |
| 50 | Russ Wilson | Liner Notes, Original Liner Notes |
| 51 | Joe Young | Composer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |