Chet Baker was one of the representatives of the West Coast Cool Jazz movement whose life and music appeals to the imagination of the people the most. His heroin addiction is well documented, his exploits and misadventures are wrapped in legendary anecdotes. But his life story never managed to overshadow his unmistakable talent.

Chet Baker has one of the most recognizable sounds of all the jazz musicians in the cannon; his trumpet playing is intimate, simple and delicate, with a hint of melancholy that tears at the heartstrings. Chet Baker With Strings was recorded during three sessions in 1953 with Zoot Sims & Jack Montrose on tenor sax, Russ Freeman on piano, Shelly Manne on drums and Clifford 'Bud' Shank on alto sax.

The players are lifted up into the air like a leaf on the breeze by Montrose's delicate string arrangements, while the Baker and Sims interplay on songs like "Loved Walked In" are amongst the best recorded in jazz history.