RINGER OF THE WEEK...

Chet Baker
The Sesjun Radio Days
T2 Records
www.t2entertainment.com
By George W. Harris

This is the second in a hopefully long series of 2cd sets that T2
Records has issued. The premise is simply to put out broadcasts by
ex-pats that toured around Holland in the 70s and 80s. This cozy little
collection has trumpeter/vocalist Chet Baker in five distinct
settings, and each one is an amazing gem. While the vintage photos
showed that he was slowly resembling the Dick Tracy character
Pruneface, the music out of his horn and mouth are almost like a scene
from Picture of Dorian Grey; it just doesn’t age.

The 1976 outing has Baker with the lithe and lean drummerless team of
Jacques Pelzer/fl, Harold Danko/p and Cameron Brown/b gliding through
some serenely gorgeous takes of “Ray’s Idea” and “There Will Never Be
Another You” which has the leader singing and playing as well as ever.
His long and lugubrious take of “This Is Always” is simply timeless,
while he shows he was still able to kick out the jams instrumentally on
a 1980 date with Wolfgang Lackerschnmid/vibes, Frank Tusa/b and
Alphonse Mouzon/dr (!) on some gun slinging takes of “Lady Bird” and
“Blue ‘n’ Boogie. Whew!

Even at the very end, during his ’84 session with Mickel Graillier/p,
Jan Voogd/b and John Engels/dr or his bitterly last get together with
the forward thinking team of Philip Catherine/g and Jean Louis
Rassinfosse/b, Baker is a complete master. His voice on “My Foolish
Heart” is as lyrical as ever, and his trumpet, be it on the agonizing
“Love For Sale” or dreamy “Lament,” gives absolutely no hint of the
dissolute life of the artist. An amazing tightrope walk of a
collection, and a MUST for Baker fans.