My heart should be welded solid by rock n roll, country, blues, jazz and anything deeply soulful I've heard at this point, but no. I as any other am susceptible to the romantic, fortunately.
I first heard Chet Baker on some dusty old cassettes that had fortunately remained in the car we were wielding, riding through New Mexico. His voice is like a cloud cover. It made me wonder where it came from and why.
His trumpet playing is a different story and has a deeper complexity and more ambiguous musical legacy.
I've initially held back from including this Chet collection (it's all vocals) because I thought I would find the Chet Baker that truly called to me and I've humbly heard some of his music. It's besides the point that I've read his biography. His commercial music surpasses the personal legacy of the man. His path is nothing short of astounding; pathetic, sad and yet understandable and shockingly realistic.
It's a grower and a real blessing to be able to reach back into a quintessential era in America and feel that you're connecting to the tone of a generation, even before it was romanticized.
The Best of Chet Baker Sings
