A Sketch of Chet [Sunday Afternoon Jazz]

Chet Baker burst onto the scene when he successfully auditioned for Charlie Parker, much to the chagrin of Dizzy and Miles. Before long, he’d found his trademark sound of lyrical, thoughtful trumpet playing and of course that distinctive, close-mic’d, sultry singing, exemplified on the veritable classic Chet Baker Sings LP.

Simon Paterson (vocals, bass), Thom Whitworth (trumpet), Paul Deats (piano) and Stevie Smith (drums) provide their take on the canon of repertoire that Chet made his own, including well-loved songs by George Gershwin, Hoagy Carmichael, Jimmy Van Heusen, Rogers and Hart, Jerome Kern and many more.

“We took some friends to eat and see the Chet Baker session last Sunday lunchtime and we were completely blown away with it. The lineup was a complete inspiration. The performance was up there with the best I’ve ever seen, brilliant timing and interpretation…such skillful musicians. We hope that the session is repeated. The food was as exquisite as usual…”