My Funny Valentine

Chet Baker was at the height of his popularity, the epitome of cool jazz, when these tracks were recorded for Pacific Jazz between 1952 and 1954. While Baker could hold his own in bop settings, the emphasis in this collection is squarely on his lyrical approach to ballads, whether singing or playing trumpet, with just a rhythm section or an added string orchestra. His vocals were absolutely distinctive, sung in a high-pitched, even fragile voice seemingly drained of emotion and yet possessing an inherent charm, a detachment that might be both the antithesis of style and its definition, whether it's heard as sensitivity or indifference. The singing is a double of his trumpet playing here, spare and barely present but achieving much through nuance and suggestion. Pianist Russ Freeman is an almost constant partner, supplying deft chords and harmonic daring, amplifying Baker's ideas. Their empathy is especially evident in the beautiful instrumental "Moon Love," but it's just as significant on signature Baker songs such as "My Funny Valentine," "Let's Get Lost," and "Like Someone in Love." --Stuart Broomer
Customer Review: everything worked as promised!
The CD came thru quickly and fortunately wasn't loose in the case. the condition stated was accurate. Now i want you "AMAZON" to listen very carefully. Many of my Amazon CD and DVD purchases come thru rattling around inside their cases! You and these other merchants need to find a way to prevent this from happening. You can count on the Post Office to thoroughly test the case design vs. their handling-FLAWED!!! A recent one had the little center tabs broken off from hard handling. I buy a considerable amount of products from you and you really have to address this. Oh, typically you're not going to because you're so damn successful, but if you don't-watch my purchase volume subside!!! Larry Komberec
Customer Review: Chet Baker - My funny valentine
Not as expected. Expected brilliant saxo solos but was just singing with a really boring and sleeping voice

One of the biggest problems presenters make is giving speeches that are too loose. By loose I mean their content is not tied to anything. Therefore, it is not be memorable or meaningful. As a result, they see audience members shifting uncomfortably in their seats and feel like they are losing them with every word.

The solution is to make sure every major point you make in your speech is tied to an anchor of some sort. An anchor is anything that helps your audience members remember your points. In other words, when they think back to your anchor, they automatically recall the message that accompanies it. When a non-attendee asks your audience members what you talked about, your message will be at the front of their brains.

Here are Four Major Anchors You Can Use to Make Your Speech Stick. They All Begin with "A"

1.Anecdotes (stories)
By far the greatest way to anchor a point is with a story. This is because, in addition to being memorable, stories also evoke emotions that get your audience to not only hear your speech but to feel it too. Surely you still remember the childhood stories such as The Boy Who Cried Wolf or even The Wizard of Oz. When you remember these stories, you immediately recall the messages (lessons) that were attached to them.

2. Activities
Have you ever been in a class or workshop that included an activity? Think back to it. Now see if you can remember the point the activity made. When done well, activities not only act as anchors, they also re-energize your audience in the process.

3. Analogies
I regularly use the old classic metaphor of the crabs in a barrel (pulling each other down as they try to get out) to explain what happens when you hang around negative people. When my audience thinks of the crabs in a barrel, they remember to be careful who they keep close to them. The key here is to compare something your audience knows (or can picture) to something they do not yet understand. There is an old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words but a metaphor is worth a thousand pictures. They are that powerful!

4. Acronyms
In a workshop I gave recently, I used PARTS as a formula for creating captivating content in a speech. These acronyms work well because they have a built-in formula that is easy for your audience to follow. For example, my audience knows after I finish with P, which stands for Phrase, I will move onto the A. Whenever your audience knows your roadmap, your speech becomes tighter to them.

Final thoughts
When your audience thinks back on any of these anchors, they automatically remember the points that are attached. A great way to make sure your speech sticks is to mix these anchors within one speech. I regularly use all 4 of them even in a short 45-minute speech. The idea is to simply move from one anchor to the next. When you use a good mix of anchors, you keep your audience energized and they walk away with your message that they can grasp with ease. Always tie your content to these anchors and you will forever keep your speech tight.

Craig Valentine is the author of two books entitled World Class Speaking and The Nuts and Bolts of Public Speaking. He is the 1999 World Champion of Public Speaking and an internationally-known professional speaker. To get your FREE MASTERFUL SPEAKING TOOLKIT, visit http://www.craigvalentine.com/

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