EP144: Bruno Major on Chet Baker’s “Embraceable You”

Episode notes

When jazz trumpeter Chet Baker began to sing on his records, his voice received a polarizing response, to put it lightly. At first, critics despised his light and dreamy voice paired with minimal accompaniment. However, audiences loved it, and Chet became a household name.

This album, Embraceable You, was recorded in the middle of his success, but wasn’t released until 1995, about 40 years after the recording. The label thought it was “too depressing” to put out and is often forgotten about in Chet’s enormous discography.

Singer/songwriter Bruno Major joins us from London to talk about this long lost album, Chet’s signature voice and delivery, and bringing Baker’s tunes to a new audience.

More on Bruno Major

• Old Soul music video
• Check out Bruno’s new album To Let A Good Thing Die
• Bruno’s version of Like Someone  In Love live in Jakarta

More on Chet Baker

• Let’s Get Lost, the documentary on Chet Baker
• Born To Be Blue: Chet Baker In 5 Songs (NPR)
• Time After Time: The Lasting Legacy Of Chet Baker (uDiscover Music)

Show Tracklisting (all songs from Embraceable You unless otherwise indicated):

• On Green Dolphin Street
• Sarah Vaughan: Embraceable You
• Nat King Cole: Embraceable You
• Billie Holiday: Embraceable You
• Embraceable You
• On Green Dolphin Street
• Bruno Major: Old Soul
• Chet Baker: My Funny Valentine
• Chet Baker: Come All Ye Faithful
• The Night We Called It A Day
• Chet Baker: You Make Me Feel So Young
• Little Girl Blue
• Come Rain Or Come Shine
• Little Girl Blue
• Bruno Major: Old Fashioned
• Chet Baker: I’m Old Fashioned
• There’s A Lull In My Life
• How Long Has This Been Going On
• Sarah Vaughan: How Long Has This Been Going On
• Forgetful
• The Night We Called It A Day
• There’s A Lull In My Life
• Bruno Major: Like Someone In Love
• Embraceable You
• The Night We Called It A Day
• Embraceable You
• Chet Baker: My Ideal
• João Gilberto: Undiú
• Antônio Carlos Jobim: Overture

Here is the Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find on there

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