Columbia's
Chet Baker entry in its
Love Songs compilation series mixes tracks from three of
Baker's original LPs onto one disc. Included are tracks from the early-'50s classic
Chet Baker & Strings, the lesser '70s Carnegie Hall Concert reunion album with
Gerry Mulligan, and the trumpeter's 1974 comeback CTI album,
She Was Too Good to Me. All are must-hear dates for any
Baker fanatic and duly fit the "love song" category, but barring
Chet Baker & Strings, none really hold much interest for the casual listener -- the person most likely to want a compilation album. Given that most
Baker fans will want the full-length versions -- which have all been reissued on CD -- and that there are better
Baker comps available,
Love Songs doesn't really seem like the place to start listening to the icon of '50s cool jazz for a romantic evening or otherwise.