Chet Baker Deeper in a Dream: Ultimate Chet Baker Collection Blue Note By David Chiu

Chet Baker's life story reads like of a Greek tragedy or a Hollywood film-a classically handsome man whose life was afflicted with drug abuse that led to his death in 1988. In happier times, his stated and elegant trumpet playing and boyish good looks, Baker, along with his colleague Gerry Mulligan, epitomized West Coast jazz in the early 50s. Cool is the operative word in describing both the music and playing on this excellent retrospective featuring Baker's best known performances including the classic My Funny Valentine (both instrumental and vocal versions), "Let's Get Lost," "You Don't Know What Love Is," "Deep in a Dream", etc. Baker can definitely swing on the uptempo tracks through his playing but it's the moments of melancholy on the slow ones (as well as of his breathy voice) that positioned him as jazz's rebel and romantic (check out the vocal on the previously unissued Blue Room). Deep in a Dream paints an accurate portrait of a brilliant and tragic talent.

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