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Chet Baker | Essential albums and listening guide
Explore Chet Baker through Chet Baker Sings. Discover what to listen for and follow related styles to your next record.
Chet Baker
Meet the artist
A trumpeter and vocalist known for his subdued tone and whispering-like singing. A symbol of cool jazz on the West Coast. Breathy trumpet and unadorned singing share a similar intimacy.
The placement of a short melody can carry more expression than a stream of notes. Sustained sounds and silence matter especially in ballads, while brighter pieces can retain fragility. Alternating between voice and horn reveals how closely jazz solos relate to singing. Small responses to partners add detail beyond the familiar West Coast image.
Where to start listening
Move between trumpet and voice, comparing the beginnings and endings of phrases. Listen for expression that does not depend on volume.
1954Chet Baker Sings
Chet Baker
It’s a singing album released by Chet Baker in 1954. In addition to his trumpet playing, his delicate and childlike singing voice earned him great praise.
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1989Chet Baker Sings and Plays from the Film "Let's Get Lost"
Chet Baker
This work was created in 1989, in conjunction with the documentary film “Let’s Get Lost” from 1988. It captures Chet Baker’s appearance in his later years through music.
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Years follow the Atlas catalogue. Recording dates, original release dates and digital reissue dates may differ.