There may never be another
Chet Baker, but on this particular night in Zagreb, poor
Baker was not playing his best: His chops are weak, and his voice is strained and shallow. Still, these four duos, with longtime collaborator, guitarist
Philip Catherine, have their rewards, such as the lengthy, substantial, and melodic solos by the guitarist. There is also the opportunity to hear
Baker's piano playing at length. On piano,
Chet Baker was even sparser than on trumpet, perhaps due to his weaker technique on the former. As with the trumpet, though, his choice of notes was always immaculate, and
Baker fans will want this disc for the novelty of his piano playing. As far as his trumpet playing goes, there are much better examples of these tunes elsewhere, particularly of "My Foolish Heart" and "There'll Never Be Another You."