The qualities that result in a singer being welcomed by jazz musicians can come in various degrees and combinations. But they always include individual timbre, tasteful phrasing, good intonation, an instinct for rhythmic placement, and a sense of proportion in the use of vibrato. Chet Baker found those values in good supply and proper balance in the young Johnny Pace and in 1958 helped Pace to get a date with Riverside, one of the great independent jazz companies. He added the enormous boost of playing on Pace's sessions with other name jazzmen, including Philly Joe Jones, Ed Thigpen, and Herbie Mann. The singer's choice of songs was just right for his light baritone, and Baker's trumpet obbligatos and solos gave inspirational support.

All or Nothing at All; Crazy, She Calls Me; The Way You Look Tonight, This Is Always, When the Sun Comes Out, What Is There to Say, Everything I've Got Belongs to You, We Could Make Such Beautiful Music, It Might as Well Be Spring, Yesterdays

with Herbie Mann, Joe Berle, Jimmie Burke, Philly Joe Jones, Ed Thigpen