The numbers heard on Chet Baker & Crew were among a prolific flurry of recordings Baker was involved in during the last week of July 1956 -- fresh from an extended European stay. Sessions were held every day from the 23rd through the 31st, which resulted in such classic titles asThe Route,Chet Baker Sings, andChet Baker Quintet at the Forum-- which is also available under the titleYoung Chet-- as well as Chet Baker & Crew. The crew on these sides includesPhil Urso(tenor sax),Bobby Timmons(piano),Jimmy Bond(bass),Peter Littman(drums), and of course Baker (trumpet/vocals). Joining the combo on both the original as well as the alternate take of "To Mickey's Memory" and "Pawnee Junction" isBill Loughbrough(chromatic tympani). His unmistakable percussive accents and tuned drum solos give these West Coast bop tracks uniquely Polynesian intonations. The band members take full advantage of their individual roles and abilities as soloists to really stretch out on "Slightly Above Moderate" and theUrso-credited composition "Halema" -- named after Baker's wife. The chemistry of cool that flows betweenUrsoand Baker is perhaps at its finest during the seamless exchange heard on "Worryin' the Life Out of Me."Timmonsalso boasts notable contributions throughout. His playful and scampering style dresses up the bluesy "Lucius Lu" and "Line for Lyons," among others. The latter is also notable as it contains the sole Baker vocal on this set. Baker enthusiasts seeking companion tracks featuring the same lineup should likewise obtain the 1995 CD releaseYoung Chet. Among the contents is the frenetic rendering of "Night on Bop Mountain." [The 1993 CD reissue of Chet Baker & Crew increases the original eight-song Pacific Jazz collection to include all 14 tracks completed during three sessions in late July 1956 at the Forum Theater in Los Angeles.]