When the first recordings of Gerry Mulligan’s quartet featuring the young and then-unknown trumpeter Chet Baker were released in 1952, they were an immediate success, both with critics and the public.So much so that Chet was voted ‘New Star’ in the Critics’ Poll of Down Beat magazine.And when the trumpeter went solo a few months later and revealed his vocal talents in a deeply personal version of ‘My Funny Valentine’, the Chet Baker craze exploded.Yet this angel-faced white musician, adored by America but also envied by some of his peers, would go on to lead the turbulent and scandalridden life of an artist addicted to drugs.Nothing would be spared him: arrests, trials, prison time, beatings, deportations, unemployment, odd jobs – until Lady Luck smiled on him once again in the early 1970s.The album ‘Chet Baker Sings’, released in 1956 and considered a landmark in jazz history, revealed not only Chet’s exceptional voice but also the timeless quality of his music.In 2001, it received a GRAMMY Hall of Fame Award after Anthony Minghella used Chet’s version of My Funny Valentine’ in his film ‘The Talented Mr.Ripley’.From the very beginning of his career, Chet showcased the enduring essence of his playing and singing – simplicity and restrained emotion.LP includes illustrated insert / comic book.
