A ballad collection that emphasizes Chet Baker's troubled-romantic vocal style, it's not too surprising that these 1957 recordings remained in the vaults for almost 40 years.
For one thing, Baker's delicate tenor, having won the hearts of thousands of teenage fans, was considered somewhat of a novelty to most critics.
For another, his guitar-and-bass accompaniment is incredibly sparse, and while that doesn't hurt his trumpeting at all, being so prominent in the mix occasionally betrays his vocal limitations.
Baker's fans, though, need not worry about such petty analysis, for the wistful, tormented tone of this record is the very sound that helped create the legend, and in places he is firmly in his element, especially on "There's a Lull in My Life" and a sublime instrumental version of "Little Girl Blue," which features some of his finest soloing.
While it isn't the place to start, Embraceable You is a fascinating example of why Chet Baker's tragic spirit remains as attractive today as it was in his lifetime.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Night We Called It a DayTom Adair, Matt Dennis | Chet Baker | Play | 02:24 | 5 MB | 8 MB |
| 2 | Embraceable YouGeorge Gershwin, Ira Gershwin | Chet Baker | Play | 02:09 | 4 MB | 7 MB |
| 3 | They All LaughedGeorge Gershwin, Ira Gershwin | Chet Baker | Play | 02:11 | 4 MB | 7 MB |
| 4 | There's a Lull in My LifeMack Gordon, Harry Revel | Chet Baker | Play | 02:55 | 6 MB | 10 MB |
| 5 | While My Lady SleepsGus Kahn, Bronislaw Kaper | Chet Baker | Play | 02:50 | 6 MB | 9 MB |
| 6 | ForgetfulGeorge Handy, Jack Segal | Chet Baker | Play | 02:36 | 5 MB | 8 MB |
| 7 | Come Rain or Come ShineHarold Arlen, Johnny Mercer | Chet Baker | Play | 02:09 | 4 MB | 7 MB |
| 8 | On Green Dolphin StreetBronislaw Kaper, Ned Washington | Chet Baker | Play | 03:10 | 7 MB | 9 MB |
| 9 | Trav'lin' LightJohnny Mercer, Jimmy Mundy, Trummy Young | Chet Baker | Play | 03:10 | 7 MB | 10 MB |
| 10 | Little Girl Blue (Instrumental Version) | Chet Baker | Play | 04:36 | 10 MB | 13 MB |
| 11 | How Long Has This Been Going On | Chet Baker | Play | 02:48 | 6 MB | 9 MB |
| 31 mins | 71 MB | |||||
| 31 mins | 101 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom Adair | Composer |
| 2 | Malcolm Addey | Digital Transfers, Mastering |
| 3 | Harold Arlen | Composer |
| 4 | Chet Baker | Primary Artist, Trumpet, Vocals |
| 5 | Richard Bock | Producer |
| 6 | William Claxton | Photography |
| 7 | Darcy Cloutier-Fernald | Art Direction |
| 8 | Michael Cuscuna | Producer |
| 9 | Matt Dennis | Composer |
| 10 | Vernon Duke | Composer |
| 11 | James Gavin | Liner Notes |
| 12 | George Gershwin | Composer |
| 13 | Ira Gershwin | Composer |
| 14 | Mack Gordon | Composer |
| 15 | George Handy | Composer |
| 16 | E.Y. "Yip" Harburg | Composer |
| 17 | Lorenz Hart | Composer |
| 18 | Gus Kahn | Composer |
| 19 | Bronislaw Kaper | Composer |
| 20 | Mark Larson | Design |
| 21 | Johnny Mercer | Composer |
| 22 | Jimmy Mundy | Composer |
| 23 | Harry Revel | Composer |
| 24 | Richard Rodgers | Composer |
| 25 | Russ Savakus | Bass |
| 26 | Jack Segal | Composer |
| 27 | Ned Washington | Composer |
| 28 | David "Buck" Wheat | Guitar |
| 29 | Trummy 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). |