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This disc documents a ten-year-long musical friendship between Chet Baker (1929-1988), the legendary American trumpet player, and Wolfgang Lackerschmid, a German vibraphone player and composer. They met for the first time in 1978 and went into the studio to do a duet recording the following year. Another studio date followed in late 1979, this time with a quintet including Larry Coryell, Buster Williams and Tony Williams. Over the years, Chet and Lacky were touring all over Europe and recorded again in 1987, only a few months before Chet's death.
Musically, it was a very special cooperation. Chet was fond of Lacky's compositions such as Five Years Ago, Balzwaltz or Why Shouldn't You Cry, and loved to perform them in concert. "Chet was the best interpreter of my tunes," Lacky remembers, "and even asked me for new material. Without needing any instructions, he always played my tunes as I wanted them to be played. I had often listened to his records before, so maybe I had his sound in mind when I wrote these tunes." Not only the tunes but also the original combination of trumpet and vibes helped to create a context for Chet's trumpet that will be new and surprising for many of his fans. Needless to say, Chet marvellously answered the challenge and had some of his most brilliant moments when recording with Lacky.
This CD ends with Chet's Ballad, a vocal version of Why Shouldn't You Cry recorded five years after Chet's death by a New York all-star band. It features alto sax player Lee Konitz and singer Lillias White in a moving homage to Chet Baker's musical spirit.
This is the third volume of the successful THE CHET BAKER LEGACY co-produced by CCB (Chet & Carol Baker Productions) and ENJA RECORDS.
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Some other recordings by
Chet Baker:
(Full list)
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