Chet Baker
Milestones Of A Jazz Legend

This ten-CD box set is a treat for all jazz lovers: it contains a total of 17 original albums by the legendary trumpeter, who was also a soulful singer. His fans regard Chet Baker as the co-creator of a restrained, typically cool, lyrical trumpet playing style inspired by Miles Davis.
At the age of ten, his father had given him a slide trombone, which he swapped for a trumpet, following the example of Harry James. In a very short time, Baker learned to play simple swing melodies by himself and also showed a talent for improvisation. He became popular as a trumpet player in Gerry Mulligan's quartet, with whom he wrote the hit single "My Funny Valentine".
However, his drug addiction grew in parallel with his popularity and he had to serve a two-year prison sentence. After a long dry spell, however, he played better than ever before and managed to make his best recordings in Europe under various labels in 1978; another highlight was a successful tour of Japan. Nevertheless, the life of this brilliant musician ended tragically: He fell from the window of a hotel in Amsterdam in May 1988; it is still unclear whether it was an accident under the influence of drugs or suicide.

CD1: Grey December / Chet Baker Quartet Feat. Russ Freeman
CD2: Chet Baker & Strings / Chet Baker Sings And Plays With Bud Shank, Russ Freeman And Strings
CD3: Chet Baker Sings
CD4: Quartet: Russ Freeman, Chet Baker / Playboys
CD5: The James Dean Story
CD6: Chet Baker Sings It Could Happen To You / Chet Baker With Fifty Italian Strings
CD7: Chet Baker Sextet / Chet Baker Introduces Johnny Pace
CD8: Chet Baker In New York / Chet
CD9: Chet Baker Plays The Best Of Lerner & Loewe / Chet Baker In Milan
CD10: Chet Is Back