CHET BAKER - ALONE TOGETHER

ALONE TOGETHER

CHET BAKER

SONGWRITERS: HOWARD DIETZ & ARTHUR SCHWARTZ

COUNTRY: U. S. A.

ALBUM: CHET

LABEL: RIVERSIDE

GENRE: JAZZ

YEAR: 1959

Chesney Henry Baker Jr.(December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for his major innovations within the cool jazz subgenre leading him to be nicknamed the "prince of cool".

Baker earned much attention and critical praise through the 1950s, particularly for albums featuring his vocals (Chet Baker Sings, It Could Happen to You). Jazz historian Dave Gelly described the promise of Baker's early career as "James Dean, Sinatra, and Bix, rolled into one." His well-publicized drug habit also drove his notoriety and fame. Baker was in and out of jail frequently before enjoying a career resurgence in the late 1970s and '80s.

Chet is an album by jazz trumpeter Chet Baker first released in 1959. The record is sometimes subtitled The Lyrical Trumpet of Chet Baker. Chet features performances by Baker with flautist Herbie Mann, saxophonist Pepper Adams, pianist Bill Evans, guitarist Kenny Burrell, bassist Paul Chambers, and either Connie Kay o Philly Joe Jones on drums. It was recorded in December 1958 and January 1959 and released on the Riverside label.

Though Baker was by the late 1950s known as much for his singing as his trumpet playing, this album is entirely instrumental. It contains 9 standard ballads (and the Chet Baker composition "Early Morning Mood" as an additional bonus track on the CD version) played in the styles of Hard Bop to Cool Jazz . The album is entirely devoted to explorations of the ballad mood, it includes considerable variety.

The Chambers-Evans-Jones rhythm section was known at the time for their work with trumpeter Miles Davis.

The Allmusic review by Dave Nathan awarded the album 4 stars and states: "Chet is a good album to hear Baker's special way with the horn, and is made even more attractive with the presence and contributions of top jazz artists".

Can't stand your present job, afraid of getting fired

Depressed? Staring at the late night tube

You could call that number

But you'd just get someone just like you

Well, I feel that way too

Just the same as you

Like it's getting worse before it's getting better

I've got troubles of my own

But as long as you're alone

Stick with me and we'll be alone"together

Beer is warm, dinner's cold and greasy

Even when life isn't hard it always seems uneasy

All alone, nobody"seems to care

Everybody's got some place

And you don't fit in anywhere

You wonder, will you always have to live in doubt

Sometimes you feel just

Like Hank Williams used to sing about

Through the window, the night's so still

And if you listen you can hear

That lonesome whippoorwill

Can't stand your present job, afraid of getting fired

Depressed? Staring at the late night tube