LIMITED EDITION CLASSIC LPS HIGH-DEFINITION PREMIUM 180 GRAM VINYL PRESSING FOR SUPER FIDELITY INCLUDES 1 BONUS TRACK

Chet Baker’s first visit to Italy took place in 1955, during his first successful Europea tour. It was during this tour that the quartet’s pianist, the talented Dick Twardzik, tragically died in Paris from a heroin overdose. Baker was devastated, and following Twardzik’s death – for which he felt some level of responsibility – the trumpeter submerged himself in the drug world and in a self-destructive spiral which would last for the rest of his life. Baker made his way back to New York in mid-1956 and wouldn’t return to Italy until the 1959 trip that yielded the recordings included here, which find him backed by an Italian big band & strings formation conducted by Len Mercer (artistic name of Ezio Leoni). Chet’s trip to Milan took place in order to make two albums: one with strings and orchestra (which is presented on this LP), the other with a small combo of Italian players. Baker was already an addict when the contract was signed, and before he could travel he was imprisoned in the States. Therefore, the sessions had to be postponed and shortly after this music was recorded Baker would be imprisoned again, this time in Italy. He was released on December 15, 1961 and left Italy on bad terms in 1962, but would return to the country many times, as he felt it to be his second home. He learned to speak Italian, and during the last decades of his life (before his death on May 13, 1988), he found a myriad of unconditional Italian fans that idolized him and recorded him extensively.

PERSONNEL: CHET BAKER, trumpet & vocals on all tracks, plus: LEN MERCER'S ORCHESTRA: Mario Pezzotta (tb), Glauco Masetti (as) Gianni Basso (ts), Fausto Papetti (bar), Giulio Libani (p, cello, arr), unknown strings (16 violins, 4 violas, cello, 2 bass), Franco Cerry (b), Gene Victory (d).

Recorded at Gurtler Bros. Studio, Milan, Italy, September 28 (A3-A4, B2, B5), September 29 (A1, A5, B1, B6) & October 5 (A2, B3-B4), 1959.

SIDE A: 01. I SHOULD CARE 02. VIOLETS FOR YOUR FURS 03. THE SONG IS YOU 04. WHEN I FALL IN LOVE 05. GOODBYE SIDE B: 01. AUTUMN IN NEW YORK 02. ANGEL EYES 03. STREET OF DREAMS 04. FORGETFUL 05. DEEP IN A DREAM 06. MY FUNNY VALENTINE * * BONUS TRACK