Friedman - Peace

Trumpet player Chet Baker (1929-1988) came to sudden fame as partner of Gerry Mulligan in the early fifties. His clear tone and his subdued, lyrical manner became hallmarks of West Coast cool jazz. However, Baker's seemingly endless melodic inventiveness matured in later years and reached it's artistic peak in the 70s and 80s. Recorded in 1982, "Peace" is a lovely example of his intimate combo work. The uncommon instrumentation with marimba and the original, somewhat challenging music by David Friedman inspired Chet Baker to one of his most intense and most thoughtful recordings. "Lament for Thelonious" is the highlight: Written and recorded directly after Thelonious Monk's death, the song cries tears of joy as well as sorrow. "There are many Chet Baker recordings from his final decade and his true fans will want to pick up this one" (Scott Yanow, All Music Guide).