Chet Baker | Career 1952-1988

This Chet Baker collection begins and ends, appropriately enough, with two different versions of “My Funny Valentine.” One is from the pioneering Gerry Mulligan Quartet at the early part of Baker’s career; the other comes from a live performance two weeks before his untimely death. The critics hated his version of the song, as did many of his peers. But it’s the song most associated with Baker, and one that always brought out his fragile and melancholy side, regardless of whether he sang it or played it.

[Click the title to read the entire review by David Rickert at allaboutjazz.com]
Technorati tag: Jazz