Cut in New Orleans in 1986, this Christmas album (with a few gospel tunes thrown in) was among Chet Baker's last recordings. Though the addiction-ravaged trumpeter was nearing the end of his life, these tracks prove he still commanded a clear, luminous tone. He lends a dash of bluesy melancholy to "Come All Ye Faithful" in tandem with saxman Christopher Mason, and unleashes concise, blissful blasts atop legendary New Orleans drummer Johnny Vidacovich's bossa nova-infused groove on "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing."
Other Versions
- 12 Songs
- June Christy
- Nancy Wilson
- Wynton Marsalis
- Joe Pass
- Jane Monheit