This 1958 recording of George and Ira Gershwin's "How Long Has This Been Going On?" from Chet Baker Sings: It Could Happen To You is an exquisite ballad performance taken at a gentle tempo of approximately 71 BPM in the key of G. Originally written for the 1927 musical Funny Face but dropped before opening night, the song found its way into the 1928 show Rosalie and has since become one of the most beloved ballads in the Great American Songbook. Baker's vocal interpretation draws out the song's sense of wonder and delayed romantic awakening with characteristic tenderness. Following the vocal, Baker takes a brief quarter-chorus trumpet solo that serves as an emotional coda, his horn continuing the story his voice began with spare, singing phrases that seem to hover in midair. Pianist Kenny Drew also contributes a quarter-chorus solo, his playing delicate and harmonically rich, adding color without disrupting the intimate mood. The 32-bar AABA form moves slowly at this tempo, each section unfolding with a patience that allows listeners to absorb every nuance. The Gershwin melody is one of the most harmonically sophisticated standards in the repertoire, and the arrangement wisely keeps the texture lean, letting the beauty of the composition and Baker's vulnerable delivery occupy center stage. It stands as one of the album's most quietly devastating performances.
