With his chiselled movie star looks, trumpeter Chet Baker was the James Dean of jazz and the poster boy for the Californian “Cool School” sound in the 1950s. Remembered as much for his chaotic lifestyle as his beautiful trumpet sound and languid voice, Baker, who would be 95 if he was still alive, is not easily forgotten. Now today’s cool young jazz cats pay tribute to him with Chet Baker Re:Imagined, a collection of his signature numbers recorded by a varied selection of international talent to celebrate the legacy of one of the most unique, charismatic and influential figures in the history of jazz. Released to mark the 70th anniversary of seminal album Chet Baker Sings, the 15-track compilation presents modern reworkings of the trumpeter and singer’s repertoire to underscore the enduring influence of one of 20th century music’s most creative artists.
Chet Baker Re:Imagined features an array of international artists spanning R&B, pop, soul and jazz. British artists dodie, Matt Maltese, Matilda Mann, Joel Culpepper, Ife Ogunjobi, Hohnen Ford, Eloise and Puma Blue line up alongside Benny Sings from the Netherlands, Canada’s Stacey Ryan, American artists Delaney Bailey and Mxmtoon, South Korean Sara Kang and Australian-Filipino grentperez. These musicians, singers, songwriters and beat-makers all sit within a fast-emerging scene and together they cast Baker’s sublime melodies against a contemporary sound canvas marked by a spectrum of acoustic and electronic colours, artful, impassioned improvisation and richly layered production.
Says dodie, whose track ‘Old Devil Moon’ is the album’s first single:
“How lucky am I to get to live in the world of Chet’s soft playful croons for this gorgeous collection? So fun to marry our styles and lean into a jazzier side. Chet Baker was my number one artist in 2023 (apparently a top 5% fan) so I was just thrilled to be asked to pick a favourite – (although that part was difficult) and spend time with his gorgeous version of Old Devil Moon and dream up how we could team up.”
Chet Baker Re:imagined is released on Decca Records on April 11th 2025
‘Old Devil Moon’ is out now
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