Embraceable You
Chet Baker
On December 9, 1957, Chet went into the studio to record 4 original Bob Zieff tunes for Dick Bock. After those tracks were laid down, Chet, bassist Ross Savakus and guitarist David "Buck" Wheat stayed behind and recorded old standards into the night. The arrangements were simple, the sound was intimate, and most of these tracks were laid down in one take. Bock shelved the recordings, feeling there were too depressing. They were finally released in 1995 after his death.

Dick Bock was right, in that this was not the swinging recordings in the same vein as recent recordings such as Playboys or The Route. However, we get a glimpse of the Chet Baker we will see later in the 1980's when he recording as a trio with just a guitar or piano and bass. The  minimal accompaniment sometimes shows the flaws in Chet's singing, but these imperfections just end up adding to the bittersweet, melancholy mood of this CD. The trumpet solos on Little Girl Blue and What Is There To Say are some of Chet's most moving. 
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Chet Baker - Trumpet
David Wheat - Guitar
Ross Savakus - Bass 
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Pacific Jazz CDP 7243 8 31676 2 3
Recorded December 9, 1957, New York
All tracks were unreleased until this CD release in 1995,
except for #13 which was released on Pretty Groovy.
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 1. The Night We Called It a Day - 2:22 
 2. Little Girl Blue [Instrumental] - 4:33 
 3. Embraceable You  - 2:06 
 4. They All Laughed  - 2:08 
 5. There's a Lull in My Life  - 2:53 
 6. What Is There to Say? - 3:38 
 7. While My Lady Sleeps  - 2:48 
 8. Forgetful  - 2:35 
 9. How Long Has This Been Going On? - 2:46 
10. Come Rain or Come Shine - 2:07 
11. On Green Dolphin Street - 3:07 
12. Little Girl Blue [Vocal version] - 4:30
13. Travelin' Light - 3:09 

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