This post is by Dan
Chet Baker (tr); Philip Catherine (g); Jean-Louis Rassinfosse (b); Hein Van de Geijn (b - on Adriano)
Recorded June 6 and 25, 1985
By 1985, Chet Baker was living full time in Europe. He was open to almost any opportunities to record and play concerts. The trio with Belgians Philip Catherine and Jean-Louis Rassinfosse dates back to 1983 for the bassist's Crystal Bells LP. The group frequently played in venues across Europe before they entered the studio to record Chet's Choice.
The pared down trio format enhances everyone's contributions. Without drums, the sound of each instrument is cleanly separated in the mix. The absence of a piano isolates Catherine's beautiful guitar chording, and Rassinfosse plays like a lead instrument. I like Chet Baker in any format, but this particular instrumentation reveals every nuance of his beautiful tone.
There aren't many moody ballads on the album, which includes brisk up-tempo versions of "If I Should Lose You" and "Conception." On these tunes, Baker navigates the changes easily. The melancholy "Sad Walk" come closest to vintage Baker, but his solo is very logically constructed, as are his other solo spots on the album. Catherine offers some surprises in his own solo: some rests, an open-string chord, and a combination of single-note runs and improvised chords. He's quite a remarkable player if you listen closely.
The centerpiece of the album is "Love for Sale," which is based on a repeated 5-note vamp played by Rassinfosse. The vamp sections alternate with a more swinging section based on another part of the song, but the most interesting playing occurs during the vamps. Each of the four times that the vamp sequence is repeated gives a different player a chance to make individual statements. Catherine's statement is not bound by the tempo and drifts into some fascinating territory.
Baker stays with an open horn on every song but the closing "Adriano," which was composed by the guitarist. Interestingly, Catherine and Rassinfosse don't solo on this number, allowing Chet to show off his mastery of the muted trumpet. His melody statement is rather soft, but his solo is sublime and mimics his plaintive singing voice.
The CD version of Chet's Choice contains three additional songs, including a vocal version of "My Foolish Heart."
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