Sings

Description

Chet Baker Sings is the first album where Chet Baker, in addition to playing the trumpet, sings. It's like a duet with himself, with these two modes of expression that resemble each other so much. Chet Baker sings as he plays his instrument, with the nonchalance of a California dandy, all in soft cotton, without forcing but always on point, at the edge of a yawn that feels good. No man sang jazz like this before Chet Baker. But many women did. The success of Chet Baker as a singer may lie in this ambivalence between a brooding handsome physique and an asexual voice. Accompanied by a small, ethereal orchestra and a repertoire of covers, Chet Baker was inventing the ultimate rest area of modern jazz. Special mention goes to his version of “My Funny Valentine,” a melancholic coo that has entered the pantheon of classics.