Chet Baker – Chet Baker in New York [Stereo] (Craft Recordings The Legendary Riverside Albums Box Set)

(AAA) — Lacquers cut from the original analog master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio.

180-gram 5LP box set!

Four tip-on jackets; one gatefold

Linen-wrapped slipcase with foil-stamped art

Plus 16-page book with liner notes, historic photos, and a collectible photo print in a glycine pouch

"For every reason, from mastering to pressing to packaging and annotation — and pricing, Craft's 5 LP Chet Baker Riverside box scores the highest marks. ... For those fans who might have some of these albums on original or OJC reissues, you can be sure the audio here soundly beats those" —  Music = 9/11; Sound = 9/11 — Michael Fremer, AnalogPlanet.com. Read the whole review here.

Few musicians have embodied the romantic, and ultimately tragic, jazz figure as totally as Chesney "Chet" Baker (1929-88). Unschooled yet eloquent in his music, the Baker mystique has only reinforced one of the most haunting trumpet styles and ingenuous approaches to jazz singing. The Legendary Riverside Albums is a collection that features four legendary Chet albums released in the late ‘50s on Riverside Records, plus a bonus LP with choice outtakes and alternates from Baker's Riverside sessions.

Label co-founder Orrin Keepnews produced all but one of the recording sessions in this set. In the liner notes, writer Doug Ramsey describes how "Keepnews put him together with some of New York's best jazz musicians including — on Chet — Bill Evans, Pepper Adams, Kenny Burrell, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones. Elsewhere in this box set Sam Jones, Al Haig, Johnny Griffin, Zoot Sims and Herbie Mann are sidemen. That is distinguished company, to say the least."

The four legendary albums are (Chet Baker Sings) It Could Happen to You, the 1958 essential album featuring Chet's vocals covering standards; In New York, released in 1959 the line-up on this album is stellar with Al Haig (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and Philly Joe Jones (drums); Chet, released in 1959 features all instrumental performances by Chet with flautist Herbie Mann, saxophonist Pepper Adams, pianist Bill Evans, guitarist Kenny Burrell, bassist Paul Chambers, drummers Connie Kay, and Philly Joe Jones; Chet Baker Plays The Best Of Lerner And Loewe, a 1959 release is a concept album featuring Lerner and Loewe timeless show tunes.

Produced by Nick Phillips, the vinyl box includes six 180-gram LPs pressed at RTI and cut from the original analog masters by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. The four classic titles feature faithfully replicated artwork printed on tip-on record jackets and the bonus disc comes in a deluxe gatefold printed on reverse board. The high-end package also contains a 16-page booklet filled with photos, and new insightful liner notes by jazz historian Doug Ramsey, plus a collectible Melvin Sokolsky photo print in a glycine pouch. The contents are housed in a striking linen-wrapped slipcase with foil stamped art.

Music

Sound

Ratings from Michael Fremer @ AnalogPlanet.com

(Above description from AcousticSounds.com)