Chet Baker

The Last Great Concert Vol. 1 & 2

Album Details

In the seventies Chet Baker began his comeback, and in a short time, his unique talents as both a vocalist and instrumentalist put him back on the major concert stages. Excellent albums were done during the last ten years of his life which were maybe less perfect than his early West Coast work in the technical sense, but which nonetheless showed a depth of feeling and intensity rarely heard. Luckily his last concert was recorded: it is one of the finest of his career. Chet was very involved with the production of these concerts, and he chose the music well in advance, which was then arranged for an ensemble consisting of a regular big band, a symphony orchestra and a jazz quintet.
He was very happy that he could finally record and perform under the best of circumstances. That night’s version of My Funny Valentine’s a song he had performed innumerable times, will stand out forever as an absolute masterpiece of vocal jazz.
“Baker’s full throated horn has never sounded better, and his poignant vocal is an unforgettable paean to lost youth.” - TIME Magazine
“One of the TOP TEN jazz albums of the decade.” - USA TODAY