Chet Baker
At Capolinea

This is one of Chet's "drug albums", those albums produced from the late '70s until his death. A multitude of albums came to light and endless musical gigs that allowed Chet to continue to cultivate his vice. Even though Chet's trumpet had, in my opinion—as well as Enrico Rava's—reached full maturity in those years, some things, due to the law of large numbers and the law of "empty quantity", turned out very poorly; consider the decent, very decent album with Galliano and the Boto Brazilian Quartet, for instance.

In this case, there were very interesting exceptions. Perhaps because there was something Italian involved, and given that Chet had a unique relationship with the Bel Paese since the late '50s—with the attached known vicissitudes between Dolce Vita gossip and judicial scandals—this perhaps allowed him to express himself at his best. This second Italian trance of his—during the period of excellent collaborations with Pieranunzi—gifts us this delightful "At Capolinea"—the name of the historic Milanese venue.

Personally, on this album, I heard the most beautiful version of "Estate" ever, along with that of the Cammariere-Bosso duo. The album opens with "Estate", 11:50 minutes of a timelessly charming classic. The atmosphere that remains in the air is one of sensual and elegant charm, thanks to the delicate phrasing of the late Michel Grailler on piano and the flute of Nicola Stilo, faithful Bakerian of those years; all in the service of Chet's tormented trumpet. A trumpet that was one with his soul: unique, unrepeatable, inimitable. Certainly, "Estate" is the album's highest point. Then comes Nicola Stilo's glamorous and sophisticated "Francamente", where Diane Varvra's Soprano Sax subtly joins in. There will be the introspective "Dream Drop" by Grailler, from which all his Gallic sensitivity emerges—and in this case, another French pianist comes to mind-. The noir "Lament" is a nocturnal jewel, full of nuances from a small Jazz Club, where the emotional level is kept consistently high thanks to the musicians involved. The album closes with "Pioggia sul Deserto" by Stilo and "Finestra sul Mare" by Dal Frà, a delicate melancholic and disturbing bridge between Copacabana and dear old Europe.

This album is an intimate journey, where every emotion created by each individual musician has the space it deserves; all in service of Chet, never intrusive but indispensable.