Search - Chet Baker :: She Was Too Good To Me

Dated, but not the vocalist's, trumpeter's, or program's fau

Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 07/02/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Chet is still in good voice, and you couldn't ask for a better program of songs, but I wish I'd taken the original date of release more seriously. Drop the needle--not for an instant is there a doubt about which decade this performance belongs to--not because of the performance but the synthesizers, electronic instruments, processed sounds, reverb--all adding up to a spongy if not mushy, slightly smarmy experience for some of us. I'd rather hear Chet having trouble enunciating his words on an '80s session than be reminded of some of the excesses of the '70s. Having "hooked" my daughter on Chet Baker, I thought this one might be a nice follow-up for her, but now I don't think I'll risk it (can't stand the thought of the music being called "cheesy").



The best of Chet as a vocalist is "Chet Baker Sings" (1954), but Chet as a musician is at his best as a trumpet player. And his most personal, introspective, minimalist playing--perhaps because of the presence of Bill Evans and an East Coast rhythm section--is to be found on "Chet" (Riverside, 1959). Be careful about not only the '70s recordings but the anthologies."

Good Old Baker

S. Fisher | 10/02/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Everytime I think I own just about everything Baker recorded, a CD will come along with a couple of cuts I don't have, and, of course, I have to pick it up. In this instance they were; Funk in Deep Freeze, My Future Just Passed, and, the one that caught my eye, With a Song In My Heart.

As one critic noted, Baker's voice is an aquired taste. However, once aquired, it is adicting, and while his vocal on With a Song In My Heart will never compare with Jane Froman's, it is comfy and a heck of a lot easier to sing along with, and the instrumental portion is great.

Overall, this CD features great trumpet work and good solid vocals. None of the choir-boy-with-a-changing-voice effect that you frequently got from Baker.

Favorite cuts: Autumn Leaves, She Was Too Good To Me, Funk In Deep Freeze and What'll I do"