Bill Evans & Chet Baker - The Legendary Sessions

The Legendary Sessions of Bill Evans & Chet Baker recorded in 1959 New York.
Personnel: Bill Evans (p) Chet Baker (tr) Zoot Sims (asax) Pepper Adams (bsax) 

Herbie Mann (tsax) Kenny Burrell (gr) Paul Chambers (b) Philly Joe Jones (dr)

Released: February 2010

Recorded:Dec. 30, 1958 (1-3, 5-7, 10) & January 19, 1959 (4, 8, 9) 

July 22, 1959 (11-14) & July 21, 1959 (15) New York

Label: American Jazz Classics 99 005

0:00 "Alone Together"

6:56 "How High The Moon"

10:33 "It Neve Entered My Mind"

15:11 "'Tis Autumn"

20:29 "If You Could See Me Now"

25:47 "September Song"

28:54 "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To"

33:26 "Time on My Hands"

37:58 "You and the Night and the Music"

42:06 "Early Morning Mood"

51:08 "Show Me"

57:36 "I Talk to the Trees"

1:03:28 "Thank Heaven for Little Girls"

1:08:03 "I Could Have Danced All Night"

1:11:43 "Almost Like Being in Love"

Never have two musicians seemed so alike in temperament yet differed so much in their approach to making music as Chet Baker and Bill Evans. While both were peerless masters of their instruments and shared a rich, evocatively lyrical playing style that bordered beguilingly on the introspective, Baker and Evans were polar opposites when it came to the discipline of performance.

Though both were heroin addicts, the musically-trained Evans never let it interfere with his meticulously precise flights of invention while the self-taught Baker became increasingly erratic and inconsistent. They ventured into a recording studio together on just three occasions.

Michael Quinn of bbc.co.uk

The sessions dates are identified as Dec. 1958, plus January and July 1959. Both featured artists are in top musical form. Their interpretations of these jazz standards are exceptional.

The backing musicians are truly the gold standard of jazz recording artists. All these individuals are legendary jazz icons with very successful solo careers. The ensemble includes Herbie Mann, Pepper Adams, Kenny Burrell, Paul Chambers, Connie Kay and Philly Joe Jones. All these artists turn in stellar performances. However, I have to single out Pepper Adams on baritone sax who really shines on these selections. The production values and mix are spot on, courtesy of Orrin Keepnews. The entire project maintains a leisurely tempo and a rich melodic and moody interpretation of these classic compositions.

Richard C. Ferris of amazon.com