Other notable sidemen include Herbie Mann on flute, Pepper Adams on baritone sax, Zoot Sims on alto and tenor, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Paul Chambers on bass, and Connie Kay and Philly Joe Jones on drums. CD

Although the initial release of this music was a cheap attempt to cash in on the tragic fame of the late James Dean, this 1956 session was also one of the nicest big band dates to come out of the Pacific Jazz catalog of the 1950s! Chet Baker and Bud Shank are the featured soloists of the set – and the group's conducted by Johnny Mandel and Bill Holman, both excellent arrangers with a strong feel for soundtrack-oriented material of this sort. Tommy Sands sings vocals on a version of "Let Me Be Loved", which is the only standard on the set – as the rest of the tracks are originals by the great Leith Stevens. The band's filled with other west coasters that you'll recognize – and titles include "The Movie Star", "Jimmy's Theme", "The Search", "Lost Love", and "Rebel At Work". CD

A very unusual record – one that features rare European recordings from a quintet that featured Chet Baker on trumpet, Lee Konitz on alto, and a young Keith Jarrett on piano – plus Charlie Haden on bass and Beaver Harris on drums! The set also features one bonus track – a 1965 live track that has Konitz with the trio of pianist Bill Evans. LP, Vinyl record album

A great Japanese pressing of this Parisian live date – recorded with Chet on trumpet and vocals, Duke Jordan on piano, and Jesper Lundgaard on bass! No drums at all – and titles include instrumental takes on "Barbados", "September Song", and "Solar" – and Chet singing on "My Funny Valentine", "But Beautiful", and "I Remember You". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Chet Baker on trumpet and some vocals – with Stan Getz on tenor, Jim McNeely on piano, George Mraz on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums. Titles include "Just Friends", "Airegin", "Line For Lyons", "Milestones", and "Stella By Starlight". LP, Vinyl record album

Gerry Mulligan on baritone sax and Chet Baker on trumpet joined by Bobby Whitlock, Carson Smith and Henry Grimes on bass, and Chico Hamilton, Larry Bunker, and Dave Bailey on drums. CD

A surprisingly wonderful 70s meeting between Gerry Mulligan & Chet Baker – recorded live, with sweet electric touches from CTI – in a style that shouldn't work so well, but which really comes off great! The approach is simple – Mulligan and Baker solo in a manner that's a bit like their 50s work, but which also unfolds more than usual with backing from a group that includes Bob James on electric piano, Ron Carter on bass, John Scofield on guitar, and Harvey Mason on drums. Tracks are long, with lots of space – hanging in a beautiful balance between electric and acoustic sounds. Titles include "Line For Lyons", "Song For An Unfinished Woman", "Song For Strayhorn", "It's Sandy At The Beach", "Bernie's Tune", and "K 4 Pacific". Both volumes on one CD! CD

2LP set released in the 70's featuring work from both of these West Coast giants. The first half focuses on recordings of Gerry Mulligan working with a strong early group – Chet Baker on trumpet, Chico Hamilton on drums, and Carson Smith on bass – on 4 tracks recorded in San Francisco, and 4 others recorded slightly later in LA. The tunes are short, piano-less, and have that fluid 50s Mulligan groove – and titles include "Turnstile", "Limelight", "Carioca", "Bark For Barksdale", and "Line For Lyons". Also included are recordings that feature Gerry's own group – an ensemble that features Nick Travis on trumpet, Allen Eager on tenor, and George Wallington on piano – on all original Mulligan titles that include "Ide's Side", "Bweebida Bobbida", "Kaper", "Funhouse", and "Mulligan's Too". The second half of this set contains material recorded for Prestige by Chet Baker in 1964. Baker plays fluegelhorn, and he's backed by a fairly soulful combo that includes George Coleman on tenor, Kirk Lightsey on piano, Herman Wright on bass, and Roy Brooks on drums. The set grooves in a way that few other Chet Baker albums do, which is something you might expect from a record that has tracks with titles like "Go Go", "Bevan Beeps", and "Rearin' Back". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite an unusual pairing – recorded here shortly before Chet Baker's too-early death! The group is great all-around – more like a Shepp combo from the time – and features Horace Parlan on piano, Herman Wright on bass, and Clifford Jarvis on drums. CD

An early jazzy soundtrack from the great Piero Umiliani – made even better by some key work from Chet Baker on trumpet and Helen Merrill on vocals! The set was done at a time when both artists were spending some time in Italy – shaping the scene with their presence, and really standing out on a handful of rare recordings like this one – quite different than their American material of a few years before! Baker is especially striking – with lead solos that have a great sense of compression, and a depth of soul that really move beyond the Pacific Jazz recordings. And Merrill is wonderful, too – with that special flavor she only ever seemed to open up when she went overseas – and got to move into more unusual settings. But the real star is Umiliani throughout – balancing modern impulses with late night jazz in a way that really points the way towards his later scores in the 60s – but which is already nearly perfect here! Titles include "Smog" (done in instrumental and vocal versions by Baker and Merrill), plus "Dawn", "Tensione", "Tops", "California In The Summer", "Hollywood Tonight", "Bowling", and "Twilight At Los Angeles". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer work from the late 50s by Chet! Although Baker's trumpet playing in the early part of the decade became known as one of the trademark "cool" sounds of the west coast, he started to move towards a sound that was a lot more hardbop at the end of the decade – as you'll hear on this tasty album. The session's got a great (and unlikely) batch of players accompanying Chet – like firey young soul jazz pianist Bobby Timmons, modal grooving bassist Jimmy Bond, and cool tenorist Phil Urso. The set's a great one, and pushes Chet's sound way past the usual stereotypes. Titles include "Medium Rock", "Lucius Lu", "Revelation", and "To Mickey's Memory". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's got Chet Baker Quintet on the cover, but which features the American trumpeter in a range of different settings – all brought together as his final album for the Barclay label in Paris! The set does feature a quintet on some tracks – with tenor work from either Bobby Jaspar or Jean-Louis Chautemps, depending on the tunes – both players who would really awaken new sonic sensibilities that Baker would explore with other tenorist in coming years – such as the great Phil Urso! There's also some quartet passages, and octet work that shows a wonderful ear for the overall sound of the group – and other players on the set include Benny Vasseur on trombone on the octet tracks, and a range of different pianists, including Rayond Fol, Rene Utreger, and Francy Boland. Titles include "Vline", "Exitus", "Chet", "Cheeketah", "Dinah", "Tasty Pudding", and "Anticipated Blues" – much more unsual material than some of Baker's other overseas sessions of the time! LP, Vinyl record album

A great Japanese issue of this early material from trumpet genius Chet Baker – featuring his quartet with Russ Freeman on piano, Carson Smith on bass, and Larry Bunker on drums! The set features titles that include "Moon Love", "Bea's Flat", "Band Aid", "Happy Little Sunbeam", and "Carson City Stage" – and a few alternate takes. LP, Vinyl record album

The last-ever Chet Baker recording with a quartet – and a set that shows just how completely magical the legendary trumpeter was even up to the end! Chet at this time is completely different than Chet in the 50s or 60s – as he'd really found a way to make all these amazing new sounds on his horn, partly as a way of getting around some of his physical limitations, but also as a way of opening up some of those mid 60s ideas that he barely explored on record at the time. He's working here with a very important musical partner from the last decade – getting great help on guitar and flute from Nicola Stilo – plus Marc Abrams on bass and Luca Flores on piano – on titles that include "Portrait In Black & White", "Funk In Deep Freeze", "Arborway", "In A Sentimental Way", and "If I Should Lose You". CD

Fantastic material by Chet Baker – a series of selections recorded for Prestige Records after his return from Europe – done with a lot more bite than his 50s material! The group here is very hip – George Coleman on tenor, Kirk Lightsey on piano, Herman Wright on bass, and Roy Brooks on drums – a quartet of very cool youngsters from Detroit – and Chet also blows fluegelhorn,w hich makes for a different vibe too. This album features the material from the albums Smokin With The Chet Baker Quintet and Groovin With The Chet Baker Quintet. CD

Late work from Chet Baker, but great work too – and sounds that have Baker returning to an incredibly strong sense of force in the final year of his life! We love some of Chet's records from earlier in the decade, but many of those are a bit laidback – kind of a beautiful exploration of space and lanquidity. But here, Baker's got a hell of a fire – blowing crisp notes that are given a wonderful drive from a quartet that features Harold Danko on piano, Hein Van De Geyn on bass, and John Engels on drums! Chet sings a bit, but the real showcase is his trumpet work – superb, and maybe still at the top of the range of trumpeters working at the time on the planet – on titles that include "Portrait In Black & White", "Stella By Starlight", "For Minors Only", and "My Funny Valentine" – plus a nice reading of the Elvis Costello tune "Almost Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

Chet Baker did so many wonderful things in his later years, which are often sadly overlooked except for those in the know – and one of the best was to start working with guitar more often, instead of piano – using the gentleness of the instrument to really change his style and the different way he shaped his notes! That approach is heard to perfection here – as Baker blows alongside guitarist Philip Catherine – a partner on other late sessions, but performing here without any other instrumentation at all – just his guitar and Chet's trumpet, on these beautiful long tracks that stretch out with a sublime sound throughout! Chet sings a bit, but his trumpet "voice" dominates, and is completely mesmerizing – on titles that include "Beatrice", "Leaving", "My Foolish Heart", and "There'll Never Be Another You". CD

A sweet little quartet session from the mid 50s – one of Chet Baker's legendary albums recorded in Paris at the time, with a quality that's nicely different from some of his work in the US! Part of that quality is the group – an unusual lineup that includes Gerard Gustin on piano, Jimmy Bond on bass, and Bert Dahlander on drums – but Baker is also changing things up a bit from the Pacific Jazz years too, and working with a more sophisticated understanding of sound and tone that would develop even more strongly in the later half of the 50s! As usual with Chet, the tunes are standards, but completely transformed by his handling – titles that include "I'll Remember April", "Tenderly", "Lover Man", "Summertime", and "You Go To My Head". LP, Vinyl record album

Completely evocative late life work from Chet Baker – one of the last albums he ever recorded, and a set that shows just how much Baker kept evolving in the later years of his career! Given some of the personal troubles that plagued Chet over the decades, there's sometimes a thought out there that he was a weaker version of himself at this time – but that's definitely not the case, as Baker really shifted his sound and style to accommodate some of his challenges, at a level that maybe made the music even more powerful than some of his music from years before! Some of the best moments here feature contributions from key musical partner of the 80s Nicola Stilo, who uses flute, guitar, and piano in these light ways while Chet's soloing with this strong, fluid vibe that's a real surprise – gentle, but extremely powerful. A few cuts bring in a bit of keyboards, and Chet sings a bit – but his best "singing" here is through his trumpet, which is still a hell of a voice in jazz. Titles include "Chet's Blues", "Waiting For Chet", "The Party Is Over", "With Sadness", "Deep Arabesques", and "Like The Precedent" – plus a lovely reading of the Elvis Costello tune "Almost Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

Great later work from Chet Baker – one of the key sides in marking out his new, more open approach to the trumpet – with long tracks overall. The setting here is spare – with backing by Doug Raney on guitar and Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass – and Chet's mostly blowing on trumpet, but also gets in some sad vocals on two tunes – "But Not For Me" and "The Touch Of Your Lips". Other tracks include "I Waited For You", "Blue Room", and "Star Eyes". CD

A really compelling mix of talents – just the piano of Paul Bley alongside the trumpet of Chet Baker! Chet sings on one track, but most of the set is instrumental. CD

Quite a great session for Chet Baker – one that has him recording in New York, with a hip lineup that includes some incredibly soulful players! The tunes on the set feature Chet in either quartet or quintet formation – working with Johnny Griffin on tenor, Al Haig on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Tracks are longish, and the sound is much more in the mode of Riverside at the time, than the sound of Chet's earlier Pacific Jazz records – and Chet holds his own nicely in this company, giving a hint of the style to come in a few more years. Titles include "Fair Weather", "Hotel 49", "When Lights Are Low", "Solar", and "Blue Thoughts". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Chet Baker's most classic albums of the 50s – a record that features both vocals and strong trumpet solos – all from a time when Baker was one of the hottest things going in jazz! The album's different from records from previous years, in that it moves Baker from LA to New York – where he works with a great quartet that features Kenny Drew on piano, George Morrow or Sam Jones on bass, and Philly Joe Jones or Danny Richmond on drums – all players who have a slightly different approach than some of Baker's compatriots on Pacific Jazz sessions, which also seems to bring out a bit more bite in Chet too. Tracks are still shortish, with those breathy Baker vocals we love so much, balanced with really well-crafted trumpet solos – and titles include "It Could Happen To You", "Do It The Hard Way", "Old Devil Moon", "Dancing On The Ceiling", and "The More I See You". LP, Vinyl record album

Chet Baker in the 80s was a really wonderful thing – hardly the sound of an aging musician stumbling towards the end of his life, as so many others tend to paint this time – and instead, a continually-creative individual who was really finding ways to get around his losses and make some tremendous new sounds in the process! One of the greatest things about Chet during these years was his sense of an unusual style of group – and that's definitely the case here as he works on both recordings with a drum-less trio – the great French pianist Michel Grailler on both sets, and either Dominique LeMerle or Riccardo Del Fra on bass – the latter of whom is a player who appeared on some of the best Baker recordings of the final decade. Tracks are nice and long, filled with unusual changes, and some wonderful phrasing from Baker – very different than the early days, but equally beautiful! Titles include "Arbor Way", "Walkin", "Lament", "Just Friends", "Stella By Starlight", "Easy Living", "But Not For Me", and "Funk In Deep Freeze". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last albums that Chet Baker recorded – and a set that changes things up a bit from the smaller combo setting of most of his final decade! The set features some small group work, but also brings in larger orchestrations on a number of tracks – balancing the fragility of Baker's sound at the time, which we love – with some deeper tonal colors in the background. One track features a smaller group that includes Walter Norris on piano and John Schroeder on guitar – both of whom solo with Chet on some of the larger format works as well – one of which also features a nice alto appearance from Herb Geller. Titles include "I Fall In Love Too Easily", "Django", "Well You Needn't", "All Blues", "Summertime", "In Your Own Sweet Way", and "My Funny Valentine". CD

Material from the last concert Chet Baker ever recorded – a surprisingly tight session that has the trumpeter blowing solos in front of the NDR Big Band. The setting is relatively relaxed – not a blasting big band session, but one that colors in the space between Baker's notes with gentle shades of sound – really respecting his role as a soloist, and providing just the right amount of gentle accompaniment to flesh out the sound of the set. Chet sings on 2 numbers – "My Funny Valentine" and "I Get Along Without You Very Well" – and other tracks include "Sippin At Bells", "Conception", "Look For The Silver Lining", and "Tenderly". Herb Geller also solos on 2 numbers too! CD

The first entry in this wonderful series that documents the early genius of baritone saxophonist Lars Gullin – a player on the Swedish scene of the postwar years, but one who also got plenty of attention on our shores – thanks to key issues of his records by Emarcy/Mercury in the 50s! Lars has a wonderful tone on his instrument – and is one of a handful of players in his generation who were taking the instrument away from larger ensembles, and using it as a setting for sublime solo work in small groups – a quality that puts Gullin right alongside American greats of the time on the instrument, like Gerry Mulligan, Pepper Adams, or Serge Chaloff! Lars is probably more like the latter two here – swinging with some nice bop inclinations – on tracks recorded with a number of different combos, including four that have trumpeter Chet Baker joining in with Gullin. Titles include "Cool Blues", "Lars Meets Jeff", "Igloo", "Danny's Dream", "All Of Me", "Ma", "Perntz", "Lover Man", "Brash", "Fedja", and "I'll Remember April". CD

A massive 2CD set that collects together 42 early recordings by the legendary Gerry Mulligan Quartet with Chet Baker – the complete work of that group for Pacific Jazz, apart from their pairing with Lee Konitz! The set is really overflowing with work, and includes both 10" and 12" LP takes of some tunes, plus a few other alternates, and all of the original material that was spread out over a number of hard-to-track down 10" LPs. Both Mulligan and Baker recorded together a number of times after this, in a "reunion" style that hearkened back to the fame of these sides – but the originals are still the best, and feature a magical pairing of two gentle jazz talents in a setting that's mostly piano-less – but which also features some occasional work from Jimmy Rowles, plus a bit of ivory from Gerry as well. Titles include "She Didn't Say Yes She Didn't Say No", "Bernie's Tune", "Soft Shoe", "Walkin Shoes", "Motel", "Cherry", "Love Me Or Leave Me", "Swinghouse", "Five Brothers", "Tea For Two", and "Funhouse". CD

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That's a young Chet Baker on the cover of the record, and the set's a really beautiful experiment based on the music that Chet recorded back in the 50s – a reworking of some of the songs he sung and made his own, turned into versions with lyrics in Norwegian, and instrumentation that nicely changes things up! Don't worry, there's still a trumpeter in the group – Thomas Husmo Litleskare does a great job in that role – but John Pal Inderberg brings in some excellent baritone, crafting these warm solos that are a surprisingly great match for the Baker-spirited trumpet – in a group that also featuers Kjetil Jerve on piano, Stian Andreas Egeland Andersen on bass, and Tore Flatjord on drums. Vocals are by Sigurd Rotvik Tunsetveit – and despite all the strange language in place, you'll find plenty to love here if you're as in love with the classic Chet Baker spirit as much as us! Titles include new versions of "Let's Get Lost", "How Deep Is The Ocean", "You Don't Know What Love Is", "There Will Never Be Another You", and "Everything Happens To Me". CD

Key early work from trumpeter Jack Sheldon – a set that captures his talents at their most basic and most stripped-down – very much in the spirit of the best LA jazz coming out on the Pacific Jazz label at the time! If the cover makes the set look a bit like a Chet Baker album, that's because there's a bit of the Baker approach here – one that's simple and focused, with a strongly melodic style that comes through beautifully on Sheldon's shimmering horn. But there's also a bit more of an edge, too – thanks to bold piano work from Walter Norris, and the addition of Zoot Sims on a number of tracks – and unlike Baker (or Sheldon on later records), there's no vocals here at all – just a strong instrumental groove. Titles include "Beach-Wise", "Groovus Mentus", "Dozo", "Jack Departs", and "Palermo Walk" – plus three bonus tracks! CD

Pow is right – as Stitt grooves with a tight combo that features Benny Green on trombone, Kirk Lightsey on piano, Herman Wright on bass, and Roy Brooks on drums. The album's one of a few sides produced in the mid 60s by Richard Carpenter, a jazz manager/impresario who cut Chet Baker on some sides with the same group, licensed them to Prestige briefly, then pulled the material. Carpenter had also licensed this Stitt session to Roulette, but it's much more fitting of Prestige – as the tracks are longer and more open-ended, with a tighter hardbop approach than some of Stitt's Roulette/Roost work. Titles include "Love On The Rocks", "Nuff Guff", "Scramble", "Up & Over", and "Pride & Passion". LP, Vinyl record album

Pure magic from saxophonist Barney Wilen – captured here at a point when his powers were really back in full force, and when he seemed to be at his most soulful when handling a gentle, easygoing sort of tune! The ballads in the title are definitely out in full force – served up in a mixture of famous French melodies, past and present – so that older postwar melodies are mixed with more contemporary moments from Michel Legrand – with a lyrical vibe that's really emphasized by the superb work on piano for the set by Michel Grallier! The rest of the group is great, too – and players include Sangoma Everett on drums, and Riccardo Del Fra on bass – the last of whom you might know from some fantastic albums with Chet Baker in later years. Wilen blows tenor and a bit of soprano – and titles include "L'Ame Des Poets", "Une Ete 42", "My Way", "Once Upon A Time", "Sous Le Ciel De Paris", "Syracuse", and "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life". CD

Music from Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker, Peggy Lee, Dinah Washington, Jo Stafford, Duke Ellington, Errol Garner, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Woody Herman, Tommy Dorsey, and more. CD

Features music by Blondie, Tom Tom Club, Chic, John Coltrane, Chet Baker, Glenn Gould, Howlin' Wolf, Carey Mulligan, and original music by Harry Escott. CD

Music from Sonny Criss, Wardell Gray, Shorty Rogers & his Giants, Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars, Gerry Mulligan Quartet, the Dave Brubeck Quartet, Chet Baker Quartet, Miles Davis, Cal Tjader, Lennie Niehaus Quintet, Art Tatum Trio, Buddy Collette Quintet, Red Norvo, Sonny Rollins, Curtis Amy Sextet, Art Pepper, and more. CD

An unusual little session for Kenny Dorham – one in which he sings as well as plays trumpet – perhaps taking a page out of Chet Baker's book, but with a completely different approach! The group features Curtis Fuller, Cedar Walton, Sam Jones, and Charlie Persip on drums – who is replaced by GT Hogan on a couple of numbers. The set's all standards, and Kenny's style is nicely raspy – not the best technically, but with some surprisingly gentle feeling that's a nice complement to his work on trumpet. Includes "Autumn Leaves", "Since I Fell For You", "From This Moment On", "This Is The Moment", "Angel Eyes", and "Golden Earrings". CD

One of Jim Hall's most compelling albums from the 70s – a mix of lightly swinging tunes and more complicated numbers, recorded with some of his best partners from earlier years! Chet Baker is on trumpet, Paul Desmond is on alto sax – and the rest of the group includes Ron Carter bass, Roland Hanna piano, and Steve Gadd on drums. Hall's style is as airy and free-floating as ever – and the spacious arrangements on the album by Don Sebesky only support his work even more. The centerpiece of the album is the 19 minute long "Concierto De Aranjuez", and other tracks include "The Answer Is Yes", "Two's Blues", and "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To". LP, Vinyl record album

A great assortment of rare live material from Gerry Mulligan's groundbreaking piano-less years – tracks recorded between 1952 and 1954, in groups with either Chet Baker or Jon Eardley on trumpet! Tracks include 5 from a 1952 date at the Blackhawk in San Francisco, 15 more from The Haig in LA in 1953 (including a few with Lee Konitz on alto) – plus even more obscure dates at Stockton High School in 1954 and Hoover High School in San Diego from the same year! Chico Hamilton plays drums on all the high school dates, and the sound is surprisingly good – with the right sort of crispness to make Gerry's unique approach come through perfectly! 2CD set features a whopping 35 tracks that include "Line For Lyons", "Carioca", "Utter Chaos", "Bark For Barksdale", "Lover Man", "Bernie's Tune", "Funhouse", "Ida's Side", "Five Brothers", "Get Happy", "Poinciana", "Blues For Tiny", "Limelite", "Nights At The Turntable", "Ontet", "Soft Shoe", and "Piano Blues". CD

Gerry Mulligan Quartet with Gerry Mulligan on baritone sax, Chet Baker on trumpet, Carson Smith on bass, and Chico Hamilton on drums. Chubby Jackson Big Band with Chubby Jackson on bass, Gerry Mulligan on baritone sax, Howard McGhee, Al Porcino and Don Ferrara on trumpets, JJ Johnson and Kai Winding on trombones, Zoot Sims and Georgie Auld on tenor saxes, Charlie Kennedy on alto sax, Tony Aless on piano, and Don Lamond on drums. CD

Features work with Chet Baker, Red Garland, Hampton Hawes, Jack Costanza, and others! CD

Really great work from trumpeter Jack Sheldon – a bigger band record that doesn't suppress his horn, and which instead really gives him a tight energy that he doesn't always have on other records! Sheldon's playing here with a pretty nice group of players – including Billy Root, who plays some wonderfully fluid baritone sax solos on a number of cuts, as well as better known west coasters like Art Pepper, Chet Baker, Conte Candoli, Harold Land, and Herb Geller. Tracks are short, and the album's really wonderful overall – truly one of the best of Sheldon's few albums as a leader. Titles include "I'm Also A Person", "Arrividerci", "Brown Cow", "JS", "Aplomb", and "Anyhow". CD

A well-titled little set – as the collection is as cool as the sound of CTI Records back in the 70s! The unique package features an LP-sized cover – just like one of the CTI gatefold albums from back in the day – which contains 4 different CDs, each with a slightly different take on the sound of the legendary label! CD 1 is titled Straight Up – and features amazing 70s jazz from Hubert Laws, Ron Carter, George Benson, Randy Weston, Freddie Hubbard, and others. CD 2 is titled Deep Grooves/Big Hits – and features some killer numbers by Esther Phillips, Johnny Hammond, Freddie Hubbard, Deodato, Joe Farrell, and Hank Crawford. Next is CD 3, The Brazilian Connection – a beautiful demonstration of Creed Taylor's love of sounds from Rio and beyond – filled with great work from Airto, Paul Desmond, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Stanley Turrentine, Milt Jackson, and Deodato. Last up is Cool & Classic – the 4th CD, with CTI-remade work by older players such as Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Kenny Burrell, and Jim Hall – all a perfect fit for the label's new sound of the 70s! The package also features an LP-sized booklet – filled with notes and rare images! CD

Includes "At The Sound Of The Trumpet" by Maynard Ferguson, "Milestones" by Chet Baker, "More On The Same" by Donald Byrd, and "Oop-Pop-A-Dah" by Dizzy Gillespie. CD

The last full performance ever from the legendary Max Roach/Clifford Brown Quintet – recorded live at the Continental Restaurant in Richmond, VA – just one week before Brownie's untimely early death! The recording quality of the performance is a bit less than some of the pair's more famous work – but there's also a looseness here that more than redeems the tape quality of the set – especially on the extended numbers that really let us hear the group open up and jam! The quintet's heard in 3 very long numbers – "I Get A Kick Out Of You" (25 minutes), "Just One Of Those Things" (21 minutes), and "Good Bait" (16 minutes) – all titles that really get at the spirit of the combo working together in a live setting. And these are followed up by shorter tunes that include "One For My Baby", "What's New", "These Foolish Things", and "Someone To Watch Over Me" – played by a lineup that includes Sonny Rollins, Richie Powell, and George Morrow. The CD also features bonus tracks from the 1955 Newport Jazz Festival – 4 that feature the group with Harold Land on tenor sax, plus one more that's a jam session with Clifford Brown in a group that includes Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Paul Desmond, and Dave Brubeck. Titles include "A Ghost Of A Chance", "Daahoud", "Tea For Two", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", and "Jaqui". CD

A classic meeting – the icy alto of Lee Konitz, with the mellifluous sound of the Gerry Mulligan quartet that included Chet Baker, Larry Bunker, and Carson Smith. The material was recorded in 1953 at The Haig in LA – and tracks include "Broadway", "These Foolish Things", "Almost Like Being In Love", "Too Marvelous For Words", "Five Brothers","My Old Flame", and "I Can't Get Started". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent early 50s recordings by baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan, and appropriately named after the title track "Freeway" considering the group's influence on the west coast scene at the time. The set was recorded for Pacific Jazz in 1952 and much later issued by Blue Note, and it's collected from a number of sessions – most of which in a quintet setting – with players that include Chet Baker on trumpet, Red Mitchell on bass, Chico Hamilton on drums, and Jimmy Rowles on piano. Tracks include "Get Happy", "She Didn't Say Yes", Lullaby Of The Leaves", "Frenisi", "Soft Shoe", and "Walkin' Shoes". LP, Vinyl record album

As if the screaming title didn't tell you enough, the album features Shank's Brazilian sides – apparently culled from his Pacific Jazz recordings from the 50s and 60s, featuring players that range from Laurindo Almeida to Chet Baker to Joe Pass, Clare Fischer, and Joao Donato. Bud's always at his best in these moments – and heck, some say he even invented the format! Titles include "If I Should Lose You", "Carioca Hills", "Summer Samba", "Elizete", "Nocturno", "Sausalito", "Otem A Note", and "Samba Do Aviao". LP, Vinyl record album

Pure magic from saxophonist Barney Wilen – captured here at a point when his powers were really back in full force, and when he seemed to be at his most soulful when handling a gentle, easygoing sort of tune! The ballads in the title are definitely out in full force – served up in a mixture of famous French melodies, past and present – so that older postwar melodies are mixed with more contemporary moments from Michel Legrand – with a lyrical vibe that's really emphasized by the superb work on piano for the set by Michel Grallier! The rest of the group is great, too – and players include Sangoma Everett on drums, and Riccardo Del Fra on bass – the last of whom you might know from some fantastic albums with Chet Baker in later years. Wilen blows tenor and a bit of soprano – and titles include "L'Ame Des Poets", "Une Ete 42", "My Way", "Once Upon A Time", "Sous Le Ciel De Paris", "Syracuse", and "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life". CD features new mastering, and four bonus tracks – alternate takes of tunes on the album! CD

A beautiful album from bassist Riccardo Del Fra – the French player who made some amazing records with Chet Baker in the 80s, and worked with Barney Wilen too! The album's dedicated to Chet, but has a vibe that's all Riccardo's own – as the tunes features mostly duets with a variety of wonderful artists – Art Farmer on flugelhorn, Dave Liebman on soprano sax, Michel Grallier and Enrico Pieranunzi on piano, and Rachel Gould on vocals! LP, Vinyl record album

The first-ever album on Pacific Jazz – and a real doozy too! The record's something of a blueprint for west coast jazz of the 50s – and features Mulligan in a pianoless quartet with Chet Baker on trumpet, Chico Hamilton on drums, and Bob Whitlock on bass – running through tunes that have a fluidly grooving approach and a masterful sense of economy, one that's emphasized even more on the shortness of the 10" LP – a nice change from some of those overstuffed Mulligan CDs that sometimes get us a bit lost in the 20-plus tracklist! Titles include classics "Freeway", "Walkin Shoes", "Bernie's Tune", "Nights At The Turntable", and "Soft Shoe". But forget what we said – as this Japanese CD features lots of bonus material – 19 tracks in all! CD