COLUMN| VINYL TREASURES
Baker’s Dozen
When it came to guitar instrumentals, no one served them hotter than Mickey Baker.
BY JIM CAMPILONGO
IN MY OPINION, Mickey Baker’s The Wildest Guitar is in the top five of greatest album covers. I’ve stared at Mickey’s face, I’ve analyzed what his left hand is fingering. I’ve looked to see if his Fender Jazzmaster is plugged in. And I’ve always wondered something else… But more on that later.
Beyond its cover, The Wildest Guitar also happens to be a great record. Mickey Baker’s name might be like Mel Bay’s to some of us. Before the internet, Baker’s Complete Course in Jazz Guitar was one of the few books that unlocked some of the guitars’ alluding mysteries, and it really helped me. His book aside, Mickey is also known for the 1956 hit “Love Is Strange,” which he recorded with his wife as the duo Mickey and Sylvia.