The story of trumpeter Chet Baker is one of brilliance and struggle with a terribly sad end. Too often, those acquainted with the tale bypass his later recordings, assuming that it’s the work of a former great brought low by drug addiction who was living out his days as a journeyman in Europe. But Blue Room: The 1979 VARA Studio Sessions in Holland, the latest in a long line of exquisite discoveries by Zev Feldman, captures Baker in sharp form as he plays and sings for broadcast on Dutch radio. It’s the newest release on Feldman’s Jazz Detective label, available as a 2LP set for Record Store Day on April 22, with the CD and digital due April 28.
Zev Feldman is nothing if not indefatigable. Focusing only on the artist under review here, it was just a year ago, and also for Record Store Day, that Feldman helped bring to light Live in Paris: The Radio France Recordings 1983-1984 by Baker in a trio configuration, and notably sans drummer. Dating from an earlier point in Baker’s comeback, the Blue Room recordings situate him in a more traditional quartet formation with two lineups on two dates, April 10 and November 9, at VARA Studio 2, Hilversum, the Netherlands.
In 1979-’80 Chet Baker recorded over 20 albums. Some were obviously better than others. The material on Blue Room, which was intended for broadcast rather than commercial release and was essentially lost until Feldman received a tip into its existence, bests anything I’ve heard from the same period. Cut in studio, it’s vibrant and focused as Baker, clearly invested in the proceedings, gels with these two groups (who shared no members in common).
In my experience, Baker’s playing nearly always sounds good, even deep into his post-comeback period (there are a few exceptions). Overall, the lesser recordings in his discography really come down to a lack of rapport with his bands (or a lack of proper investment by audiences). That’s part of what makes Blue Room so interesting, as each session was over in a day, the music radiating the immediacy of a live performance but without the potential baggage and snags of a club date.
Blue Room really does connect like a pair of killer sets from the bandstand, and while as said the lineups are distinct save for Baker, the playing flows together pretty seamlessly. The April 10 band, which is represented with seven tracks, consists of pianist Phil Markowitz, bassist Jean-Louis Rassinfosse, and drummer Charles Rice. The November 9 band is made up of pianist Frans Elsen, bassist Victor Kaihatu, and drummer Eric Ineke.
Of the eleven, there’s only one Baker composition, “Blue Gilles,” but there are two pieces by Miles Davis, “Down” (which Baker was playing as far back as the 1950s) and “Nardis” (a song that has come to be associated with pianist Bill Evans). Additionally, there’s “Beautiful Black Eyes,” a tune that’s credited to Wayne Shorter, though like Davis and “Nardis,” it doesn’t appear that Shorter ever recorded it.
“Beautiful Black Eyes” establishes the group’s cohesion and panache right from the start. Unsurprisingly, Baker and Markowitz had played the song at least twice the previous year as documented on the albums Live at Nick’s and Oh You Crazy Moon. The latter set’s title track standard is also featured on Blue Room, following “Beautiful Black Eyes” as one of three tracks where Baker sings.
Baker’s voice isn’t as full (I don’t think strong is really the right word) or as smooth as it was in his ’50s prime, but no matter, as it’s made up for through experience. Another standard, “The Best Thing For You,” finds the band in high energy mode, while Rodgers and Hart’s “Blue Room” slows the pace, spreads out to over 16 minutes and features some of Baker’s best playing on the set.
Of the four tracks included from the November session, Baker sings on two, “Candy” (with some cool scatting) and “My Ideal.” The slinky blues “Luscious Lou,” written by Baker’s frequent cohort tenor saxophonist Phil Urso, sits between them. Closing the record is a lively take of “That Old Devil Moon” (unlike on (Chet Baker Sings) It Could Happen to You, sans vocals) that effectively drives home Baker as one of jazz’s great devotees of the Great American Songbook.
Chet Baker’s life was tumultuous, but his music at its best set all that aside. Blue Room: The 1979 VARA Studio Sessions in Holland is the latest release vindicating him from the naysayers and detractors.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
A-
