Chet Baker / She Was Too Good To Me (US, CTI Records, CTI 6050 S1) <1974>

Chet Baker / She Was Too Good To Me (US, CTI Records, CTI 6050 S1) <1974>
(SIDE 1) RVG 87710 A-4
(SIDE 2) RVG 87710 B-4

チェッと・ベイカーが歯を折られたのは1966年でした。伝記で確か「麻薬がらみのトラブルがあり、トランペッターと知りながら意図的に折リに来た」という風に読んだ記憶がありますが、伝記映画"Let's Get Lost"では本人が「知り合いが強盗しようと仲間で襲ってきて、一度は車に逃げ込んだが車の中の人に追い出され、結局折られた」というようなことを言っていました。

なんにしても、チェットはトランペットが吹けなくなり、しばらくガソリン・スタンドで働く羽目になりました。いつからか入れ歯をしてトランペットが吹けるようになったようですが、本格的なカムバックを果たしたのは1974年の本作品でした。

She Was Too Good to Me is an album by Chet Baker.The album was released in 1974 as what some would call a "comeback" album There were three recording sessions (July 17, October 31, and November 1, 1974).The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow states "Baker began his comeback after five years of musical inactivity with this excellent CTI date. ... Altoist Paul Desmond is a major asset on two songs and the occasional strings give variety to this fine session".

Chet Baker - Trumpet, Vocals
Hubert Laws - Flute and Alto Flute
Bob James - Piano, Keyboard
Ron Carter - Bass
Steve Gadd - Drums on "Autumn Leaves", "She Was Too Good to Me", "Funk in Deep Freeze", "Tangerine", "My Future Just Passed"
Jack DeJohnette - Drums on "With a Song in My Heart", "What'll I Do?", "It's You or No One"
Paul Desmond - Alto Saxophone on "Autumn Leaves", "Tangerine"
Milt Jackson - Vibes on "Autumn Leaves"
Romeo Penque - clarinet
George Marge - flute
David Friedman - vibes
Don Sebesky - arrangements
Rudy Van Gelder - engineer, recorder

甘すぎるストリングスや弾きすぎのBob Jamesなど、気になる点が多いですが、でも「記念すべきカムバック作品」「一定水準をクリアした名盤」という好意的な扱いを受けている作品だと思います。ダメ男の後悔という内容のタイトル曲が大好きです。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cevs8ZgUb2A

She was too good to me
How can I get along now
So close she stood to me
Everything seems so wrong now

She would have brought me the sun
Making me smile That was her fun

When I was mean to her
She never said go away now
I was a king to her
Who's gonna make me gay now?

It's only natural
I'm so blue
She was too good to be true

ちなみにオリジナルはHe Was Too Good To Me です。