(Chet Baker Sings) It Could Happen to You

(Chet Baker Sings) It Could Happen to You is an album by jazz trumpeter and vocalist Chet Baker. It follows a formula similar to two other Baker albums, Chet Baker Sings (1954) and Chet Baker Sings and Plays with Bud Shank, Russ Freeman & Strings (recorded in 1955, released in 1964[2]) in which he sings traditional pop standards in a jazzy fashion. Unlike the aforementioned records, on It Could Happen to You, on a few tracks, Baker plays no trumpet whatsoever, opting to scat in place of an instrumental solo.[3]

It Could Happen to You
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 3, 1958[1]
RecordedAugust 1958
Reeves Sound Studios, New York City
GenreJazz
Length52:39 (2010 reissue)
LabelRiverside
RLP 12-278
ProducerBill Grauer
Chet Baker chronology
Stan Meets Chet
(1958)
It Could Happen to You
(1958)
Chet Baker in New York
(1958)

In 2010, it was remastered and reissued on CD by Original Jazz Classics with two previously unissued takes.

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic     [4]
Pitchfork8.3/10[5]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings    [6]

The Allmusic review by Lindsay Planer awarded the album 4 stars and states:

One immediate distinction between these vocal sides and those recorded earlier in the decade for Pacific Jazz is the lissome quality of Baker's playing and, most notably, his increased capacity as a vocalist. The brilliant song selection certainly doesn't hurt either. This is an essential title in Chet Baker's 30-plus year canon

— Planer, Lindsay Allmusic review

Track listing

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1987 CD reissue bonus tracks

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No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."While My Lady Sleeps"Bronisław Kaper, Gus Kahn4:21
12."You Make Me Feel So Young"Josef Myrow, Mack Gordon3:38

2010 CD reissue

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  1. "Do It the Hard Way" – 3:03
  2. "I'm Old Fashioned" – 5:06
  3. "You're Driving Me Crazy" – 2:56
  4. "It Could Happen to You" – 2:53
  5. "My Heart Stood Still" – 3:28
  6. "The More I See You" – 3:06
  7. "Everything Happens to Me" – 5:05
  8. "Dancing on the Ceiling" – 3:09
  9. "How Long Has This Been Going On?" – 4:10
  10. "Old Devil Moon" – 2:58
  11. "While My Lady Sleeps" [Take 10] – 4:22
  12. "You Make Me Feel So Young" [Take 5] – 3:41
  13. "The More I See You" [Take 8] – 2:51
  14. "Everything Happens to Me" [Take 2] – 4:51

Personnel

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References

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  1. ^ Billboard Nov 3, 1958
  2. ^ "Chet Baker Sings and Plays with Bud Shank, Russ Freeman and Strings Review". allmusic. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  3. ^ "It Could Happen to You Information". iTunes. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
  4. ^ "It Could Happen to You Information". Allmusic. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
  5. ^ "Chet Baker: The Legendary Riverside Albums". Pitchfork. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  6. ^ Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. The Penguin Guide to Jazz (9th ed.). London: Penguin. p. 66. ISBN 978-0-14-103401-0.