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 Caught in the Carousel "There will be music despite everything"
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Chet Baker
Chet Baker Sings: It Could Happen To You
Riverside
Well, you had me at "Chet Baker Sings." I'm one of those fans who weeps openly at Baker's version of "My Funny Valentine," which was the song that catapulted his singing career and had it running tandem with his playing, which he also does on this re-release of a collection of ten great songs (and four bonus tracks!). These numbers were recorded when Chet was just 29, still full of promise and natural musicianship but already making his way down a road to self-destruction. I suppose that knowing the rest of Chet's story makes listening to this CD all the more bittersweet and I'm as drawn to the upbeat tunes like "You're Driving Me Crazy" and "The More I See You" as I am to the decidedly melancholic "Everything Happens to Me," on which Chet's voice remains seductively light. Recorded in 1958, this collection of songs became what the critics referred to as West Coast Jazz, very accessible to listeners and very easy to love, and invoking Miles, Mingus and the era of Jazz that changed the music world forever. Check it out.
—The Vinyl Princess
www.vinylprincess.com
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