Chet Baker Sings

When originally released in 1956, Chet Baker Sings caused some considerable confusion among critics. Was Chet a trumpet player who sang or a singer who played the trumpet? The truth was probably a mixture of both, since he performed both with equal abilities. His reputation had been established as a trumpet player, but from his first vocal session in 1954, he had become noted as a unique vocal talent, one whose low key style provide especially popular with the record buying public. The success of the album prompted later visits to the vocal booth, with equal success, although the ground-breaking work on Chet Baker Sings still ranks as a classic of West Coast cool jazz.