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Chet Baker
~From Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chet_Baker
Chet Baker
Background information
Birth name Chesney Henry Baker Jr.
Born December 23, 1929
Origin Yale, Oklahoma, United States
Died May 13, 1988
Genre(s) West Coast jazz
Occupation(s) Trumpeter
Jazz singer
Instrument(s) Trumpet
Vocals
Associated
acts Gerry Mulligan
Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and singer.
Specializing in relaxed, even melancholy music, Baker rose to prominence as a leading name in cool jazz in the 1950s. Baker's good looks and smoldering, intimate singing voice established him as a promising name in pop music as well. But his success was badly hampered by drug addiction, particularly in the 1960s, when he was imprisoned.
He mounted a successful comeback in the '70s, but died after falling from a hotel window.
Biography
Early days
Baker was born and raised in a musical household in Yale, Oklahoma; his father was a professional guitar player. Baker began his musical career singing in a church choir. His father introduced him to brass instruments with a trombone, which was replaced with a trumpet when the trombone proved too large for him.
Baker received some musical education at Glendale Junior High School, but left school at age 16 in 1946 to join the United States Army. He was posted to Berlin where he joined the 298th Army band. Leaving the army in 1948, he studied theory and harmony at El Camino College in Los Angeles. He dropped out in his second year, and re-enlisted in the army in 1950. Baker once again obtained a discharge from the army to pursue a career as a professional musician. Baker became a member of the Sixth Army Band at the Presidio in San Francisco, but was soon spending time in San Francisco jazz clubs such as Bop City and the Black Hawk.
Career breakthrough
Baker's earliest notable professional gigs were with saxophonist Vido Musso's band, and also with saxophonist Stan Getz, though he earned much more renown in 1951 when he was chosen by Charlie Parker to play with him for a series of West Coast engagements.
In 1952, Baker joined the Gerry Mulligan Quartet, which was an instant phenomenon. Several things made the Mulligan/Baker group special, the most prominent being the interplay between Mulligan's baritone sax and Baker's trumpet. Rather than playing identical melody lines in unison like bebop giants Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, the two would complement each other's playing with contrapuntal touches, and it often seemed as if they had telepathy in anticipating what the other was going to play next. The Quartet's version of "My Funny Valentine", featuring a memorable Baker solo, was a major hit, and became a song with which Baker was intimately associated.
The Quartet found quick success, but the quartet lasted less than a year because of Mulligan's arrest and imprisonment on drug charges. In 1954, Baker won the Downbeat Jazz Poll. Over the next few years, Baker fronted his own combos, playing trumpet and singing. He became an icon of the west coast "cool school" of jazz, helped by his good looks and singing talent.
Drug addiction and professional decline
In 1966, Baker was severely beaten (allegedly while attempting to buy drugs) after a gig in San Francisco, sustaining severe cuts on the lips and broken front teeth, which ruined his embouchure. Accounts of the incident vary, largely because of Baker's lack of reliable testimony on the matter. It has also been suggested that the story is a fabrication altogether, and that Baker's teeth had just rotted due to heavy substance abuse. From that time he had to learn to play with dentures.
A heroin user since the 1950s, the effects of drug addiction eventually caught up with Baker, and his promising musical career declined as a result. He served more than a year in prison in Italy on drugs charges, and was later expelled from both West Germany and England for drug-related offenses. Baker was eventually deported from West Germany to the United States after running afoul of the law there a second time. He settled in Milpitas in northern California where he was active in San Jose and San Francisco between short jail terms served for prescription fraud.
Between 1966 and 1974, Baker mostly played flugelhorn and recorded music that could mostly be classified as early smooth jazz or mood music.
Comeback and later career
After developing a new embouchure due to his dentures, Baker returned to the straight-ahead jazz that began his career, relocating to New York City and began performing and recording again, notably with guitarist Jim Hall. Later in the seventies, Baker returned to Europe where he was assisted by his friend Diane Vavra who took care of his personal needs and otherwise helped him during his recording and performance dates.
In 1983, British singer Elvis Costello, a longtime fan of Baker, hired the trumpeter to play a solo on his song "Shipbuilding", from the album Punch the Clock. The song was a top 40 hit in the UK, and exposed a new audience to Baker's music. Later, Baker would often feature Costello's song "Almost Blue" in his live sets, and recorded the song on Let's Get Lost.
Near the end of Baker's life, he resided and played almost exclusively in Europe, returning to the USA roughly once per year for a few performance dates.
Death
At about 3:00 am on Friday May 13, 1988, Baker was found dead on a street below his second-story room at the Prins Hendrik Hotel in Amsterdam, Netherlands, with serious wounds to his head. Heroin and cocaine were found in his hotel room, and an autopsy also found these drugs in his body. There was no evidence of a struggle, and the death was ruled an accident. However, the lack of witnesses has fueled subsequent unsubstantiated rumors, including some suggesting that Baker was murdered or committed suicide.
Baker's body was brought home for interment in the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California. A plaque outside the hotel now memorializes him.
Book, film and dramatic biographies
Let's Get Lost
Jeroen de Valk wrote a biography of Baker: Chet Baker: His Life and Music. James Gavin has also written a biography: Deep In A Dream — The Long Night of Chet Baker.
Baker was immortalized by the photographer William Claxton in his book Young Chet: The Young Chet Baker. An Oscar-nominated 1988 documentary about Baker, Let's Get Lost, portrays him as a cultural icon of the 1950s, but juxtaposes this with his later image as a drug addict. The film, directed by fashion photographer Bruce Weber, was shot in black-and-white and includes a series of interviews with friends, family (including his three children by 3rd wife Carol Baker), associates and lovers, interspersed with film from Baker's earlier life, and with interviews with Baker from his last years.
The musical play Chet Baker - Speedball explores aspects of his life and music, and was premiered in London at the Oval House Theatre in February 2007, with further development of the script and performances leading to its revival at the 606 Club in the London Jazz Festival of November 2007.
Baker was reportedly the inspiration for the character Chad Bixby, played by Robert Wagner in the 1960 film All the Fine Young Cannibals. Another film, titled Prince of Cool release date 2008, which is claimed to be a new take on the life of Chet Baker "the legendary trumpeter whose heroin addiction contributed to his (reported) suicide in 1988", is being planned. It will star Josh Hartnett.
External links
* Biography at a tribute website:
chetbakertribute.com/about.htm
* Chet Baker at the Internet Movie Database:
www.imdb.com/name/nm0048329/
* Chet Baker Lost and Found:
www.chetbaker.net/
* Obituary:
www.tonyspage.com/Makes_no_...ce_how.htm
On YouTube:
Chet Baker - You don't know what love is:
www.youtube.com/watch
Let's Get Lost: www.youtube.com/watch
Chet Baker interviewed by Elvis Costello:
www.youtube.com/watch
Chet Baker 1986 - If I Should Lose You:
www.youtube.com/watch
Jazz Icons: Chet Baker- Live In '64 & '79 Preview:
www.youtube.com/watch
Chet Baker in Tokyo ' 87 - My Funny Valentine:
www.youtube.com/watch
chet baker last gig and interview:
www.youtube.com/watch
Chet Baker / Elvis Costello 1986 - The Very Thought Of You:
www.youtube.com/watch
~From Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chet_Baker
Chet Baker
Background information
Birth name Chesney Henry Baker Jr.
Born December 23, 1929
Origin Yale, Oklahoma, United States
Died May 13, 1988
Genre(s) West Coast jazz
Occupation(s) Trumpeter
Jazz singer
Instrument(s) Trumpet
Vocals
Associated
acts Gerry Mulligan
Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and singer.
Specializing in relaxed, even melancholy music, Baker rose to prominence as a leading name in cool jazz in the 1950s. Baker's good looks and smoldering, intimate singing voice established him as a promising name in pop music as well. But his success was badly hampered by drug addiction, particularly in the 1960s, when he was imprisoned.
He mounted a successful comeback in the '70s, but died after falling from a hotel window.
Biography
Early days
Baker was born and raised in a musical household in Yale, Oklahoma; his father was a professional guitar player. Baker began his musical career singing in a church choir. His father introduced him to brass instruments with a trombone, which was replaced with a trumpet when the trombone proved too large for him.
Baker received some musical education at Glendale Junior High School, but left school at age 16 in 1946 to join the United States Army. He was posted to Berlin where he joined the 298th Army band. Leaving the army in 1948, he studied theory and harmony at El Camino College in Los Angeles. He dropped out in his second year, and re-enlisted in the army in 1950. Baker once again obtained a discharge from the army to pursue a career as a professional musician. Baker became a member of the Sixth Army Band at the Presidio in San Francisco, but was soon spending time in San Francisco jazz clubs such as Bop City and the Black Hawk.
Career breakthrough
Baker's earliest notable professional gigs were with saxophonist Vido Musso's band, and also with saxophonist Stan Getz, though he earned much more renown in 1951 when he was chosen by Charlie Parker to play with him for a series of West Coast engagements.
In 1952, Baker joined the Gerry Mulligan Quartet, which was an instant phenomenon. Several things made the Mulligan/Baker group special, the most prominent being the interplay between Mulligan's baritone sax and Baker's trumpet. Rather than playing identical melody lines in unison like bebop giants Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, the two would complement each other's playing with contrapuntal touches, and it often seemed as if they had telepathy in anticipating what the other was going to play next. The Quartet's version of "My Funny Valentine", featuring a memorable Baker solo, was a major hit, and became a song with which Baker was intimately associated.
The Quartet found quick success, but the quartet lasted less than a year because of Mulligan's arrest and imprisonment on drug charges. In 1954, Baker won the Downbeat Jazz Poll. Over the next few years, Baker fronted his own combos, playing trumpet and singing. He became an icon of the west coast "cool school" of jazz, helped by his good looks and singing talent.
Drug addiction and professional decline
In 1966, Baker was severely beaten (allegedly while attempting to buy drugs) after a gig in San Francisco, sustaining severe cuts on the lips and broken front teeth, which ruined his embouchure. Accounts of the incident vary, largely because of Baker's lack of reliable testimony on the matter. It has also been suggested that the story is a fabrication altogether, and that Baker's teeth had just rotted due to heavy substance abuse. From that time he had to learn to play with dentures.
A heroin user since the 1950s, the effects of drug addiction eventually caught up with Baker, and his promising musical career declined as a result. He served more than a year in prison in Italy on drugs charges, and was later expelled from both West Germany and England for drug-related offenses. Baker was eventually deported from West Germany to the United States after running afoul of the law there a second time. He settled in Milpitas in northern California where he was active in San Jose and San Francisco between short jail terms served for prescription fraud.
Between 1966 and 1974, Baker mostly played flugelhorn and recorded music that could mostly be classified as early smooth jazz or mood music.
Comeback and later career
After developing a new embouchure due to his dentures, Baker returned to the straight-ahead jazz that began his career, relocating to New York City and began performing and recording again, notably with guitarist Jim Hall. Later in the seventies, Baker returned to Europe where he was assisted by his friend Diane Vavra who took care of his personal needs and otherwise helped him during his recording and performance dates.
In 1983, British singer Elvis Costello, a longtime fan of Baker, hired the trumpeter to play a solo on his song "Shipbuilding", from the album Punch the Clock. The song was a top 40 hit in the UK, and exposed a new audience to Baker's music. Later, Baker would often feature Costello's song "Almost Blue" in his live sets, and recorded the song on Let's Get Lost.
Near the end of Baker's life, he resided and played almost exclusively in Europe, returning to the USA roughly once per year for a few performance dates.
Death
At about 3:00 am on Friday May 13, 1988, Baker was found dead on a street below his second-story room at the Prins Hendrik Hotel in Amsterdam, Netherlands, with serious wounds to his head. Heroin and cocaine were found in his hotel room, and an autopsy also found these drugs in his body. There was no evidence of a struggle, and the death was ruled an accident. However, the lack of witnesses has fueled subsequent unsubstantiated rumors, including some suggesting that Baker was murdered or committed suicide.
Baker's body was brought home for interment in the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California. A plaque outside the hotel now memorializes him.
Book, film and dramatic biographies
Let's Get Lost
Jeroen de Valk wrote a biography of Baker: Chet Baker: His Life and Music. James Gavin has also written a biography: Deep In A Dream — The Long Night of Chet Baker.
Baker was immortalized by the photographer William Claxton in his book Young Chet: The Young Chet Baker. An Oscar-nominated 1988 documentary about Baker, Let's Get Lost, portrays him as a cultural icon of the 1950s, but juxtaposes this with his later image as a drug addict. The film, directed by fashion photographer Bruce Weber, was shot in black-and-white and includes a series of interviews with friends, family (including his three children by 3rd wife Carol Baker), associates and lovers, interspersed with film from Baker's earlier life, and with interviews with Baker from his last years.
The musical play Chet Baker - Speedball explores aspects of his life and music, and was premiered in London at the Oval House Theatre in February 2007, with further development of the script and performances leading to its revival at the 606 Club in the London Jazz Festival of November 2007.
Baker was reportedly the inspiration for the character Chad Bixby, played by Robert Wagner in the 1960 film All the Fine Young Cannibals. Another film, titled Prince of Cool release date 2008, which is claimed to be a new take on the life of Chet Baker "the legendary trumpeter whose heroin addiction contributed to his (reported) suicide in 1988", is being planned. It will star Josh Hartnett.
External links
* Biography at a tribute website:
chetbakertribute.com/about.htm
* Chet Baker at the Internet Movie Database:
www.imdb.com/name/nm0048329/
* Chet Baker Lost and Found:
www.chetbaker.net/
* Obituary:
www.tonyspage.com/Makes_no_...ce_how.htm
On YouTube:
Chet Baker - You don't know what love is:
www.youtube.com/watch
Let's Get Lost: www.youtube.com/watch
Chet Baker interviewed by Elvis Costello:
www.youtube.com/watch
Chet Baker 1986 - If I Should Lose You:
www.youtube.com/watch
Jazz Icons: Chet Baker- Live In '64 & '79 Preview:
www.youtube.com/watch
Chet Baker in Tokyo ' 87 - My Funny Valentine:
www.youtube.com/watch
chet baker last gig and interview:
www.youtube.com/watch
Chet Baker / Elvis Costello 1986 - The Very Thought Of You:
www.youtube.com/watch
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Re: December 23rd: Chet Baker.
Wed, January 2, 2008 - 4:46 PMi just read the james gavin biography. it was excellent, though sort of like looking at a train wreck: you want to turn away, yet you can't.
one thing that surprised me was how his singing was villified in its day. lots of snarky reviews, and gavin's take (backed up by quotes of those who knew him) was that there was no real feeling to his singing.
i just don't buy it: maybe his friends who he was ripping off left and right couldn't hear it, but the fact that we still listen to it and get such a sweet and melancholy feeling suggests there was something behind it in the first place.
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LET'S GET LOST!
Fri, January 4, 2008 - 2:11 PMFRI-THU JANUARY 18-24
Let’s Get Lost
www.castrotheatre.com/p-list.html
F, M, Tu, Th: 7p, 9:25p
Sa, Su, W: (2p), 4:30p, 7p, 9:25p NEW RESTORED PRINT!
The life and music of jazz great Chet Baker is the subject of this poignant, fascinating documentary by noted photographer Bruce Weber. Interviews with family and friends, clips from his television appearances, and Baker's short-lived movie career in the 1950s, are splendidly intercut with rare recording sessions. The scenes of Baker’s later years are heartbreakingly sad as the ravages of drug addiction have taken its toll on this legendary trumpeter. Unseen for 14 years, this is a new 35mm restoration for its 20th anniversary! (1988, 119 min) NOT ON DVD!
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