Riverside Profiles

AMG Review of Riverside Profiles

Matt Collar
All Music Guide

Riverside Profiles collects tracks recorded by trumpeter/vocalist Chet Baker in the late '50s. This was a troubled period personally for the iconic jazz artist as he had become addicted to heroin. Nonetheless, these are some of the most beautiful, melodic and improvisationally muscular of Baker's cuts and easily stand next to his legendary Pacific Jazz recordings. Included are such stand-out tracks as "Do It The Hard Way" off his 1958 album Chet Baker Sings It Could Happen To You, "September Song" off 1959's Chet and "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" off Baker's highly-under appreciated 1958 session In New York. While most Baker aficionados will have or want to get the full albums, Riverside Profiles is still a great introduction to this part of Baker's career. Included is a bonus compilation disc of other artists in the Riverside Profiles series.