the rix mix

It was bad enough Chet Baker was reduced to adding his horn to Sixties pop tunes with the Mariachi Brass, one of innumerable Tijuana Brass knockoffs. His final LP with them was mostly famous Glenn Miller numbers wretchedly done in the style, & that manages to demean several genres of music & everyone involved including listeners. Chet grew up with big band music, probably inspired him to take up the trumpet, & it wouldn't have been humiliating to cover those oldies straight. Even "String of Pearls" with its original, famed Bobby Hackett solo. Yeah, they do that song faux mariachi, too. Here's "Pennsylvania 6-5000."

Labels: music