Chet Baker’s penchant for drummerless trios, a setting he explored with greater frequency near the end of his career, inspired some excellent performances. He was also blessed by some great-sounding recordings where the use of space the musicians employed was complemented by an open soundstage with plenty of air. That begins to describe the allure of Live in Paris, a 3-LP/2-CD set containing previously unreleased live recordings from 1983 and 1984. Both concerts feature pianist Michael Graillier while the bass duties are split between Dominique Lemerle and Riccardo Del Fra. The trios cover a broad range of styles, including standards (“But Not for Me,” “Stella by Starlight”), nods to Blue Note (Hank Mobley’s “Funk in Deep Freeze” and Horace Silver’s “Strollin’”), and newer material (Hal Galper’s “Margerine” and Rique Pantoja’s “Arbor Way”) that serves as a reminder that Chet never became a nostalgia act. The vinyl for Live in Paris was mastered by Kevin Gray and pressed at Memphis Record Pressing, and while 11 songs spread over almost two-and-a-half hours makes for long sides, these platters avoid the telltale signs of groove compression. And yes, Chet sings—on a couple tunes, in fact

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