The Original Quartet With Chet Baker [2-CD SET]
Gerry Mulligan's off-the-bandstand relationship with Chet Baker could never be considered amiable, but once the two West Coast bad boys picked up the horns, everything was sweetness and light, though often underscored by a subtle and sweet tension. That's never been more apparent than onThe Original Quartet with Chet Baker, a limited- edition, two-CD set (42 tracks!) that compiles the group's entire Pacific Jazz output (with the exception of their collaborations with Lee Konitz, available onKonitz Meets Mulligan. As the band that defined the swinging and sophisto West Coast sound, these Mulligan/Baker sides are laid-back but also sly and cerebral. While the rhythm section (bassists include Red Mitchell, Joe Mondragon, Bob Whitlock, and Carson Smith; drums were brushed by Chico Hamilton and Larry Bunker) lays back and affords the horns plenty of room, Baker and Mulligan circle each other like boxers one moment, lovers the next. It's a dance you don't want to miss.--S. Duda