Chet Baker (1929-1988) seemed to have it all. His trumpet solos were models of lilting lyricism. His yearning vocals conveyed boyish innocence. And his pretty-boy good looks were likened to James Dean's. If Baker's personal problems—forthrightly depicted in the 1988 documentary Let's Get Lost—wreaked havoc with his life, they didn't nullify the plaintive beauty of his work. The eternally haunting “My Funny Valentine,” which made Baker a star, is one of two early-Fifties numbers herein that feature him with the renowned piano-less quartet of baritone saxist Gerry Mulligan. However, nine of the CD’s eleven selections find Baker, who symbolized West Coast jazz, in the company of some of the East Coast’s most notable players. Having matured as both soloist and singer, Baker renders an array of choice ballads that quietly smolder.