Live In London is the first official release of Chet Baker’s appearance at the short-lived Canteen club in Covent Garden. The performance took place just before Easter, 1983, and saw him accompanied by the John Horler Trio, which consisted John Horler on piano, Jim Richardson on bass and Tony Mann on drums.
All too often, critics are quick to dismiss Chet’s later recordings. Whilst there are numerous sub-standard recordings, and his lifestyle meant that he was not always on his game, the good nights saw him playing better than ever.
Luckily, Chet was on his game for much of that year; his chops were in good shape, having just finished a long tour with Stan Getz. He was also comfortable with the band, having previously recorded with Richardson and Mann. Those two factors can be heard in his playing on this double CD. Time and again he delivers lengthy, often breathtaking solos, constantly reinventing his huge back catalogue.
On the second night, Jim Richardson asked Chet if he could record the music for his own benefit on an early Sony Walkman. The full story of how the music came to be released can be read in our interview with Jim and trumpet player/artistic director Quentin Collins here.
The original tapes had been degraded, but have been restored and remastered to a high standard by Claudio Passavanti. Whilst this is clearly not a professional recording, and occasional distortions can be heard, this release captures the warmth and spirit of the band, and it compares very favourably to other live recordings from that era.
Highlights are almost too many to mention; Beatrice, a gorgeous Sam Rivers tune that deserves wider recognition, is sublime, with both Chet and John Horler delivering fine solos, whilst Chet’s vocal on The Touch Of Your Lips is tender, his voice sounding younger than his appearance might suggest.
Leaving, a tune by Richie Beirach, has always been one of my favourite tunes in Chet’s repertoire, and even My Funny Valentine sounds fresh here, with some inventive lines thrown in.
The good news is that plenty more tunes were recorded, and Ubuntu Music plans a second volume. They should be commended for immense amount of work required bringing this project to fruition; to my mind, this is one of the most import jazz re-releases of the year. Essential.
As a footnote for the jazz geeks out there, Elvis Costello was in the audience at The Canteen that week; he met with Chet after the show, and asked him to appear on this new album, Punch The Clock; that's Chet you can hear at the end of Shipbuilding.
