Written for his colleague Janos Starker David Baker's Quintet (also called the Two Cello Quintet) was premiered at Indiana University's Eva Janzer Memorial Concert. The Bloomington press wrote of the performance: a romantic work...eclectic and conservative but in this instance (Baker's) writing had a special sense of urgency that grabbed one's attention and kept it focused on the piece.

Tenor with Piano Quintet-Commissioned and recorded twice by tenor William Brown Through This Vale of Tears is a kind of social commentary on the death of Dr. King. As described by the Atlanta Journal Constitution “Mr. Baker's piece set a varietyof texts in a cornucopia of styles including scat spiritual and chorale. Miraculously this diversity cohered producing a multi-dimensional work filled with grief humor and hope.” Set includes 1 full score and stringparts; individual scores may also be purchased separately (LKMP# X081022).