Sings & Plays

The lyricism of Chet Baker, one of the most important post-war trumpet players, cannot be doubted. Chet's musical expressions as both a singer and as a musician remain essentially romantic. The songs on this record are for everyone: jazz fans and those who are not very familiar with jazz. For arrangers Ezio Leoni and Giulio Libano, it was important to expand, enhance, galvanize what Chet wanted to express.

There is no doubt that they found a simple, successful and effective technique in structuring the album. They have alternated lyrical songs with more stringent and alive tracks. With the continuous alternation of times, expressions and atmospheres, they made sure to avoid any monotony. In accordance with Chet they built a great and selected formation made up of the best Italian jazz musicians. The orchestra that recorded the album consisted of 16 violins, 4 violas, 4 cellos, a flute, a bass clarinet, an oboe, a French horn and a harp which matched with Glauco Masetti's alto sax, Fausto Papetti's baritone sax, Mario Pezzotta's trombone, Gianni Basso's tenor sax, Franco Cerri's double bass, and Gene Victory's drums. An imposing orchestra that was able to mix perfectly and alternate purely jazzy instruments with strings during the performances.

The repertoire included in the album covers a wide range: from well-known motifs such as "Angel Eyes," "When I Fall in Love" or "I Should Care," to other less-known but very pleasant tracks like "The Song Is You" or "Forgetful." Other tracks lend themselves perfectly to a wider orchestration such as "Autumn in New York," "Violets for Your Fur" and "Deep in A Dream." Another theme was treated with a thrifty intervention of the strings, almost a crown of the whole performance, represented by the recording "Street of Dreams." In the last track of Side A, "Good-bye," Chet expresses an exceptional sadness in a very valid and unusual way.