Peter Friedman

I am in the minority as I like these Prestige Chet Baker albums. The music is straight ahead swinging bebop oriented which I especially enjoy. There are none of the "dreamy' non-swinging tunes I have heard on some of Chet's later albums. The sidemen are far more interesting for me than those on many of his European later sessions. I have never been crazy about Phil Markowitz, but like Kirk Lightsey a lot. Kirk and George Coleman are terrific, and to my ears Roy Brooks was a very top level drummer during his somewhat brief career. And one more thing that makes this an appealing album for me. Baker does not sing. On many Baker albums he sings the same half dozen tunes over and over.(My Funny Valentine and But Not For Me are two prime examples) I doubt that any other of Baker's many albums feature the tunes we hear on the Prestige sessions. One episode I recall back when I lived in Detroit was when Kirk Lightey (also a Detroit resident at that time) walked into my favorite jazz record shop while I was hanging out there. It was sometime after those Chet Baker Prestige albums had been released on LP. I spoke to Kirk and told him how much I enjoyed his playing on those 3 albums. He was quite pleased. He had not done much recording prior to the Baker albums.

This is a wonderful Symphony that I suspect is not familiar to many people.

"Archduke" Trio Op.97

Beethoven - Piano Trio Op.1, no.1 Schubert - Piano Sonata D.850

Disc 2

Brahms - String Sextet No.1, Op.18

Ronan O'Hora - Chopin

Dvorak - String Quintet Op.97 and Sibelius - String Quartet Op.56 "Voces Intimäe"