Chet Baker There Will Never Be Another You - solo

**znerken** · 02-20-2019, 05:35 PM

This is perhaps a stupid question, but what do you define as the solo of Chet Baker on this famous recording?

I define the solo as the part where the pianist and Chet starts to play together at 1:50. The solo lasts 24 bars then the singer does the C part, outro?

The reason I ask, is that if you search on youtube there are tons of people playing what they coin as his solo, but I think of as the intro?

**grahambop** · 02-20-2019, 05:47 PM

Well in the first part he is only loosely featuring elements of the melody, he is changing and embellishing it so much that it is effectively a solo. In fact it sounds like the best bit of the whole thing to me, no wonder people copy that part.

**lawson-stone** · 02-20-2019, 06:04 PM

Originally Posted by znerken

This is perhaps a stupid question, but what do you define as the solo of Chet Baker on this famous recording?

I define the solo as the part where the pianist and Chet starts to play together at 1:50. The solo lasts 24 bars then the singer does the C part, outro?

The reason I ask, is that if you search on youtube there are tons of people playing what they coin as his solo, but I think of as the intro?

You do know, I trust, that "the singer" is Chet Baker.

**Steven Herron** · 02-20-2019, 07:43 PM

Actually, until now I didn't know that Chet Baker ever sang!

I just knew that he played jazz trumpet - and rather beautifully I may add.

He's got a nice voice as well - very smooth sounding.

**lawson-stone** · 02-20-2019, 08:13 PM

Holy Cow! Yes, he perfected the California Cool jazz singer style. You have a whole world of nice recordings to (re)discover now! After his comeback his voice was much rougher, but still had that something. I sometimes think the melodic quality of Baker's solos derives from the fact that he was such a natural singer.

**pcsanwald** · 02-21-2019, 05:50 PM

Originally Posted by Steven Herron

Actually, until now I didn't know that Chet Baker ever sang!

Wow! yeah, he's an excellent singer. I generally hate scatting, but Chet scat sings extremely well, too. In fact, one of Tom Harrell's favorite solos is Chet scatting on "Do It The Hard Way", which is on "Chet Baker Sings", which features a great rhythm section: Kenny Drew, Sam Jones, Philly Joe Jones. great album!!!

**MarkRhodes** · 02-21-2019, 06:07 PM

**lawson-stone** · 02-22-2019, 06:51 PM

The solo on "But Not For Me" is one of the first non-guitar solos I ever transcribed. Wonderful.

**pcsanwald** · 02-24-2019, 03:54 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

The solo on "But Not For Me" is one of the first non-guitar solos I ever transcribed. Wonderful.

All his solos are like, perfect for learning. they sound great on any instrument, aren't too hard, and you can work them into your playing and build off his ideas, which always come from the melody.

I know that early on, I got a lot more out of learning chet solos than I did charlie parker or clifford brown solos, great as they are.

**Pycroft** · 02-24-2019, 04:17 PM

Someone once described Chet Bakers' singing as " like being sweet-talked by the void " .

His trumpet playing is so lyrical , so musical , it really repays close listening .

**znerken** · 02-24-2019, 04:55 PM

I got a little shocked that Chet is the one singing. I’ve always imagined a black woman. Impressive!

It’s a little funny how they have “hidden” the fact that the solo/intro is in F, but the singing is in Eb so well. Could be my ear though.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**grahambop** · 02-24-2019, 05:54 PM

I read that they had a lot of problems on those sessions, Chet was nervous about singing so there were lots of false starts and they ended up splicing different takes together. Also the Pacific Records Guy (Dick Bock) was always notorious for messing about and resplicing everything afterwards. So could be all sorts of reasons they changed key like that, either they did it to suit Chet’s vocal range or it came from different takes, could be anything.

Listening again, I think there is a splice right after the first trumpet solo, the sound of the piano and trumpet changes a bit when that little transition passage to the new key comes in.

**znerken** · 02-24-2019, 05:55 PM

Originally Posted by grahambop

I read that they had a lot of problems on those sessions, Chet was nervous about singing so there were lots of false starts and they ended up splicing different takes together. Also the Pacific Records Guy (Dick Bock) was always notorious for messing about and resplicing everything afterwards. So could be all sorts of reasons they changed key like that, either they did it to suit Chet’s vocal range or it came from different takes, could be anything.

Turned out to be a masterpiece!