These three tracks from Chet Baker’s 1969 album Albert’s House offer a deeply introspective glimpse into the jazz icon’s late-era artistry. Composed by Steve Allen and Fran Landesman, the pieces are entirely instrumental and steeped in melancholy, showcasing Baker’s signature lyrical trumpet style.
- “Farewell San Francisco” sets the tone with a wistful, slow-burning melody that evokes a sense of quiet departure and emotional solitude.
- “Never Had This Feeling Before” follows with a tender, almost fragile phrasing that feels like a confession without words.
- “Sunday in Town” closes the trio with cinematic elegance, painting a sonic portrait of reflective stillness and urban nostalgia.
Together, these tracks form a poignant suite that captures Baker’s emotional depth and subtle expressiveness during a period marked by personal and artistic reflection.
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This studio album was recorded during a troubled period: Baker had recently suffered a serious embouchure injury, which affected his trumpet tone and power
Critics like Scott Yanow noted that Baker “rarely ventures out of the lower register… sounds in sad shape,” resulting in what Yanow called a “remarkably bad set”
“Farewell, San Francisco”
Mood & Performance: The track carries a melancholic, introspective tone—spoken directly through Baker’s subdued trumpet lines.
Reception: Listeners over time, for example on Last.fm, continue to “love this track,” with over 600 scrobbles, underlining its evocative, cool-jazz charm
Takeaway: Far from his 1950s peak, Baker’s playing still resonates emotionally, drawing the listener into a world of quiet reflection.
“Never Had This Feeling Before” & “Sunday in Town”
Among the album’s few standouts, these two tracks exhibit:
“Never Had This Feeling Before”: Known for its haunting melody and superb guitar accompaniment. On the Steve Hoffman forum, a listener described being transported “into a different world” and calling it “probably my favorite jazz tune (ever)”
“Sunday in Town”: Also singled out in user reviews (e.g., on Album of the Year.org) for capturing “the feeling of walking down a sunny street in a small beach town” and again praised for its warmth and consistency
📝 Final Thoughts
Although Albert’s House is uneven and represents Baker at a less vigorous phase, tracks like “Farewell, San Francisco,” “Never Had This Feeling Before,” and “Sunday in Town” shine through as emotionally rich moments. They offer a vulnerable, introspective glimpse of a jazz legend persevering through adversity. For fans of cool jazz and contemplative trumpet lines, these gems make a compelling case to revisit the album—just temper expectations, knowing this is not Chet at his technical peak, but in a uniquely intimate space.