Chet Baker - Ensemble

Year: 1953

Label: Blue Note

Recorded: Dec. 1953 / Released: 2004

Bitrate: 320 kbps



Chet Baker Ensemble collects all the tracks recorded by trumpeter Chet Baker and his group on a session for Pacific Jazz in late December of 1953. Having been released piecemeal on various albums over the years, this represents the first complete gathering of this material. Recorded less than two months before the legendary Chet Baker Sings sessions, these tracks showcase the young Baker as a hardcore jazz trumpeter before the public became overwhelmingly infatuated with his unique vocal abilities. Featuring first-rate "West Coast"-style arrangements by tenor saxophonist Jack Montrose — who also composed many of the songs — the septet seems to combine the jocular interplay of Baker's work with saxophonist Gerry Mulligan with the hip, swinging work popularized by the large ensembles of trumpeter Shorty Rogers. Besides Montrose, backing Baker here are saxophonists Herb Geller and Bob Gordon, bassist Joe Mondragon, drummer Shelly Manne, and pianist Russ Freeman. Rating alongside the best of Baker's catalog, Chet Baker Ensemble is a must-hear for both longtime fans and neophytes of the iconic trumpeter/vocalist's work. - AMG



Before recording CHET BAKER SINGS (the album for which he is best known), Baker cut some excellent sides that showcased his fine trumpet playing sans vocals. CHET BAKER ENSEMBLE, collected from tracks cut in a 1953 session, has Baker working firmly in a bop context, with emphasis on his clean, West Coast style. Working with a septet that includes baritone, tenor, and alto saxophones, Baker takes his cue from Miles Davis's '49/'50 recordings, blending elements of bop and big-band swing, along with a breezy, restrained approach the trumpeter would soon come to epitomize.



Tenor saxophonist Jack Montrose, who penned seven of the 13 tracks here, also wrote the arrangements, which allow for a sound that is rich but never cluttered, approximating a streamlined quartet, but with greater texture and variety. The musicianship is fine throughout, and Baker's playing gleams on bop workouts ("Little Old Lady") and tender ballads ( "Moonlight Becomes You" ). Though all of these cuts have appeared separately on various albums, this 2004 remaster brings together the '53 session results for the first time under one cover, making CHET BAKER ENSEMBLE an essential addition to Baker's discography. ~ Dose ~ mymusic.com



Personnel:

Chet Baker (trumpet)

Herb Geller (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone)

Jack Montrose (tenor saxophone)

Bob Gordon (baritone saxophone)

Russ Freeman (piano)

Joe Mondragon (double bass)

Shelly Manne (drums)



Recording information: Capitol Studios, Hollywood, California (12/1953).



Chet Baker - Ensemble tracks:

01 Bockhanal - Montrose (3:00)

02 Ergo - Montrose (3:11)

03 Moonlight Becomes You - Burke, VanHeusen (3:27)

04 Headline - Montrose (3:11)

05 A Dandy Line - Montrose (2:51)

06 Little Old Lady - Adams, Carmichael (2:50)

07 Goodbye - Jenkins (3:50)

08 Pro Defunctus - Montrose (3:27)

09 Bockhanal [alternate take] - Montrose (2:35)

10 Moonlight Becomes You [alternate take] - Burke, VanHeusen (2:55)

11 A Dandy Line [alternate take] - Montrose (2:51)

12 Little Old Lady [alternate take] - Adams, Carmichael (2:01)

13 Goodbye [alternate take] - Jenkins (3:41)