CHET BAKER

Download music!: Chet Baker-Django; Chet Baker-Body And Soul; Chet Baker-The Thrill is Gone  

Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (Yale, Oklahoma, December 23, 1929 - Amsterdam, Netherlands May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhorn player 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 died in 1988 after falling from a hotel window.

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Chet's biography

Chet Baker was born Chesney Henry Baker Jr. on December 23, 1929 in Yale, Oklahoma. His father, Chesney Sr. was a guitarist who played in local country and western bands. When Chet was 10, the family moved to Southern California. Chesney Sr., encouraging his son to pursue music, bought Chet a trombone. The 12 year old found it difficult to handle, so he eventually switched to trumpet. He played trumpet through junior high school, and on through college. 

In 1946 he was drafted into the Army, and played in the Army band in Berlin. After returning home, Baker continued his music education at El Camino College. In 1952 he won an audition with Charlie Parker, then went on to join Gerry Mulligan's pianoless quartet. The group performed regularly at The Haig in Hollywood. In 1953, Baker formed his own band featuring Russ Freeman on piano. The Chet Baker Quartet toured and recorded with great success. As the decade came to a close, Chet was addicted to heroin and his life was filled with arrests and scandals.

Chet Baker spent most of the sixties in Europe, recording infrequently and getting in to trouble frequently. He made some very notable recordings in the early part of the decade (such as the Prestige recordings from 1965), sometimes switching to flugelhorn. But the late sixties found him recording some dreadful music, and eventually he had given up playing after losing most of his upper teeth. Years of drug use had taken their toll on Chet's teeth, and in July of 1966 he was attacked, and his teeth were damaged further.

In the early 1970's, Chet Baker began to learn how to play with dentures. Beginning in 1974, Chet recorded and toured regularly, mostly in Europe. Despite the effects of age, drugs and false teeth, he actually improved in those later years. Chet's performances in the eighties were unpredictable. Sometimes he would show up and perform the best gig of his career. Sometimes he would show up and perform poorly. Sometimes he wouldn't even show up. 

Chet Baker's turbulent life came to a bizarre and tragic end on May 13, 1988 in Amsterdam. Chet fell from the open window of his hotel room, hitting the concrete two stories below. 

It can be argued that Chet was at his musical peak when he died in 1988. Indeed some of his best recordings came from 1986 and 1987.

Source; http://chetbakertribute.com/about.htm

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Chet Baker biography

1929 - 1988
Trumpeter. When the clean-cut young Baker came out of the army in 1952 and played his first high-profile gigs with Charlie Parker, he had the kind of matinee-idol looks that suggested he would become a star. His clear-toned vibratoless trumpet style owed a lot to Miles Davis, but the introverted phrasing was all his own, as was Baker's surprisingly delicate singing voice. 

After coming to national attention with Gerry Mulligan's quartet, and a hit with My Funny Valentine, Baker formed his own group, and for the middle to late 1950s made a series of successful discs that boosted his path to stardom. However, he was by then a serious heroin addict, and his world collapsed in 1960 when he was sentenced to a prison term while on tour in Italy. The 1960s became a decade of decline, and Baker's face became deeply lined and haggard. 

Losing his teeth forced him to give up playing for a while, but he fought back in the 1970s and although he never bcame free of the shadow of drugs, he resumed his place among the world's leading jazz trumpeters. His later recordings lack the easy brilliance of his earlier playing, but within his narrow range and soft tone, he found new levels of expressivity. He fell to his death out of a window in Amsterdam, supposedly because of yet another nefarious involvement in the world of narcotics. 

Further Reading: 

Jeroen De Valk: Chet Baker : His Life and Music (Berkeley, Berkeley Hills Books) 2000 Chet Baker: As Though I Had Wings : The Lost Memoir (New York, St Martins Press) 1999

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/jazz/profiles/chet_baker.shtml

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Frequently asked questions about Chet

How did Chet baker die? Was he murdered? Did he kill himself?
One of the many things people find fascinating about Chet Baker is his "mysterious death". The only thing that makes it mysterious is that no one witnessed it. Murder can be ruled out becausethere was no sign of struggle in Chet's hotel room, and the door was locked from the inside. Nor was it a planned suicide. There was no note, and any person intending to kill themselves would have certainly jumped from higher that 2 stories. Usually a fall like that would result in broken bones but not death. No, Chet's death was an odd, misfortunate accident. He simply fell out of the window. There was heroin found in his system, and there were large amounts of cocaine and heroin in his room. He probably went to open the window, and simply lost his balance. When he fell (at about 3 AM), he struck his head on a concrete post on the sidewalk. Given Baker's life of ups and downs, the rumors make for a more interesting end to his story.

Where can I find a copy of "let's get lost"?
Bruce Weber's 1988 "documentary" about Chet Baker is currently out of print. There are frequently new and used copies of the film on VHS or DVD on www.ebay.com. Be careful, some of the copies are Japanese imports with Japanese subtitles. Be sure to check with the seller. The film is being shown in theatres in limited release in 2007. It may be issued on DVD in 2008.

Although "Let's Get Lost" is entertaining, it is not the ultimate Chet Baker experience. The film wrongly depicts Baker as a washed-up musician with his best days behind him. You will get more satisfaction listening to many of his great recordings. 

Is is true that Chet could not read music?
The fact that Chet Baker could play by ear, and could quickly learn tunes, lead to the misconception that he could not read music. In 1987 Herbie Hancock said of his recording of "Fair Weather": "I had forgotten that Chet didn't read music. I remember how fresh his first take was, he followed the chords as if he had known them all his life". 

Perhaps when Hancock said Chet "didn't" read music he simply meant the artist felt more comfortable playing what was in his head rather that what was on the sheet music. Baker said in a 1987 interview with biographer J. de Valk; "Well, I can't read chord sequences. I can play a melody line that is written down for trumpet. But chord symbols tell me nothing. For a time I went to instrument training class in junior high school. That was the only instruction that I ever had." Russ Freeman talked about Chet's ability to read music in this 1990 interview.

Also, the because Chet Baker was not a composer, it has lead people to believe he was musically illiterate. I think that it was Baker's ability to play what was in his head, rather than what was written down, that made him such a great musician.

Is there a Chet Baker movie in the works?
Not really. After years of abandoned projects involving such big names as Leonardo DiCaprio, Johnny Depp and Jim Carrey, Josh Hartnett (Pearl Harbor, Lucky Number Slevin) was to play Chet in a film called The Prince of Cool. In early 2008, Hartnett pulled out of the project when he felt the producers were not making a film that would do justice to Chet's amazing life.

Was Chet ever married? Did he have any children?
Chet was married to Charlaine in 1950, they had no children. In 1956 he married Halema, and they had a son, Chesney Aftab in 1957. Halema is the woman seen in the famous William Claxton photos, such as the one on the cover of My Funny Valentine. Chet married Carol in 1964 and they had three children; Dean (1962), Paul (1965) and Melissa (1966). Chet remained married to Carol until his death, although they were separated in the mid seventies.

What kind of horns did Chet play?
Chet wasn't loyal to any particular brand or type. He usually blew on whatever he had at the time. Many times he would pawn or lose his horn when he was strung out. He played a Martin "Committee" in the fifties, he even appeared in an ad for Martin. In the 70's he liked the Conn "Constellation". In the 80's he played on a Buescher and a Getzen Capri. At the time of his death he was playing a Selmer "Vincent Bach Stradivarius". He also played a flugelhorn (usually a Selmer) through much of 1964-1968. He found the horn easier to play when he was having problems with his teeth.

What is your favorite Chet song and/or album?
My favorite Chet album is In Tokyo. But choosing a favorite song is tougher. My favorite early song is "Time After Time", and my favorite song from his later years is "Arborway". 

Do you have any Chet baker merchandise for sell?
No, the sole purpose of this site is to share my appreciation of Chet's music with other fans, and hopefully introduce him to new fans.

Source: http://chetbakertribute.com/about.htm

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Born in Yale, Oklahoma December 23, 1929 Chet Baker was destined to touch the 
authentically American art of jazz music with an unmistakable sound and phrasing 
that is still celebrated and enjoyed throughout the world.

The mission of the Chet Baker Foundation (based in his home state of Oklahoma) 
is to bring awareness through education and events to the life and art of Chet 
Baker.

Many pioneering artists and celebrities have accepted the invitation to share 
their love for Chet by joining The Foundation as Honorary Directors and Board 
members.; from Dave Brubeck, Quincy Jones, McCoy Tyner and Herbie Hancock 
to Sharon Stone, Hugh Hefner and Jeff Golblum....over 60 artists, thusfar.
(Please see the honorary directors and board links below to read about them)

All are welcome to join and contribute...in the spirit of jazz improvisation...the spirit 
of music as a means to bring people together....and mostly in the romantic and 
unique artistic spirit of Chet Baker.

Source: http://www.chetbakerjazz.com/

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Chet Baker 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 tenor 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 success quickly, but lasted less than a year because of Mulligan's arrest and imprisonment on drug charges. In 1954, Baker won the Downbeat Jazz Poll. Baker formed a quartet with Russ Freeman in 1953-54 with bassists like Carson Smith, Joe Mondragon, and Jimmy Bond and drummers like Shelly Manne, Larry Bunker, and Bob Neel. The quartet was successful in their three live sets in 1954. The first set was in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and the other two in Los Angeles. In some songs in the set, Baker not only played trumpet, but also "boobams", a set of little tuned drums made from bamboo wood. These were also used in some of his early studio recordings played by one of his percussionists. They were used until he retired them in late 1956. The final album which the novelty drums were used was Chet Baker and the Crew. Over the next few years, Baker fronted his own combos, including a 1955 quintet featuring Francy Boland, where Baker combined 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

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. Baker would pawn his instruments for money to maintain his drug habit. In the early 1960s, he served more than a year in prison in Italy on drug 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.

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 -- two missing teeth can be clearly seen in a 1964 performance in Belgium, Chet Baker: Live in 64 and 79, suggesting this is indeed the case. From that time he had to learn to play with dentures.

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.

From 1978 onwards, Baker resided and played almost exclusively in Europe, returning to the USA roughly once per year for a few performance dates.

From 1978 to 1988 was Baker's most prolific era as a recording artist. However, as his extensive output is strewn across numerous, mostly small European labels, none of these recordings ever reached a wider audience, even though many of them were well-received by critics, who maintain that this was probably Baker's most mature and most rewarding phase. Of particular importance are Baker's quartet featuring the pianist Phil Markowitz (1978-80) and his trio with guitarist Philip Catherine and bassist Jean-Louis Rassinfosse (1983-85).

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" (inspired by Baker's version of "The Thrill Is Gone") in his live sets, and recorded the song on Let's Get Lost.

The video material recorded by Japanese television during Baker's 1987 tour in Japan showed a man whose face looked much older than he was; however, his trumpet playing was more alert, lively and inspired than ever before. Fans and critics alike agree that the live album Chet Baker in Tokyo, recorded less than a year before his death and released posthumously, ranks among Baker's very best.

Chet Baker's compositions included "Chetty's Lullaby", "Early Morning Mood", "Two a Day", "So Che Ti Perdero", "Il Mio Domani", "Motivo Su Raggio Di Luna", "The Route", "Freeway", "Blue Gilles", "Dessert", and "Anticipated Blues".

Death

At about 3:00 am on Friday May 13, 1988, Baker was found dead on the "Zeedijk", the 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.

Legacy

Jeroen de Valk has written a biography of Baker which is available in several languages: Chet Baker: His Life and Music is the English translation, Chet Baker: Herinneringen aan een lyrisch trompettist (remembrance of a lyrical trumpet player) is the Dutch edition (updated and expanded in 2007), and it is also published in Japan and Germany. James Gavin has also written a biography: Deep In A Dream — The Long Night of Chet Baker.

Chet's own "lost memoirs" are available in the book As Though I Had Wings, which includes an introduction by Carol Baker.

One of the chapters in Geoff Dyer's book But Beautiful: A Book About Jazz deals with Baker.

Baker was immortalized by the photographer William Claxton in his book Young Chet: The Young Chet Baker. An Academy Award-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 third wife Carol Baker), associates and lovers, interspersed with film from Baker's earlier life, and with interviews with Baker from his last years.

Time after Time: The Chet Baker Project, written by playwright James O'Reilly, toured Canada in 2001 to much acclaim.

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, to be titled Prince of Cool, and claiming to be a new take on the life of "the legendary trumpeter whose heroin addiction contributed to his (reported) suicide in 1988," was planned for release in 2008. Josh Hartnett was in talks to star in the film but dropped out after several disagreements with the producers. Plans for the film have been canceled as of January 2008.

Honors

In 1987, inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame.
1989: elected to Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame by that magazine's Critics Poll
In 2005 Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry and the Oklahoma House of Representatives proclaimed July 2, 2005 as “Chet Baker Day”.
A group of Musicians from Northern Norway performed 'Chet Baker Tribute' at the Jazz Utsav in Bandra, Mumbai.

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Biography

Born Chesney Henry Baker, Jr. in Yale, Oklahoma on December 23, 1929, Chet Baker began his musical career as a child, singing at amateur competitions and in a church choir. His father brought home a trombone for him to play, then replaced it with a trumpet when the larger instrument proved too much for him. His first formal training in music occurred at Glendale Junior High School, but Baker would play mostly by ear for the rest of his life.

In 1946, at the age of 16, he dropped out of high school and enlisted in the army. He was sent to Berlin, Germany, where he played in the 298th Army Band. After his discharge in 1948, he enrolled at El Camino College in Los Angeles, where he studied theory and harmony while playing in jazz clubs He quit college in the middle of his second year. He re-enlisted in the army in 1950 and became a member of the Sixth Army Band at the Presidio in San Francisco, but began sitting in at clubs like Bop City and the Blackhawk in the city, and soon obtained a second discharge to pursue a career as a professional musician.

Baker played initially in Vido Musso's band, and soon after with Stan Getz. His break came quickly, when, in the spring of 1952, he was chosen at an audition to play a series of dates with Charlie Parker, making his debut with the alto saxophonist at the Tiffany Club in Los Angeles on May 29, 1952. That summer, he began playing in the Gerry Mulligan Quartet, a pianoless group featuring baritone sax, trumpet, bass, and drums. The group attracted attention during an engagement at the Haig and through recordings on newly formed Pacific Jazz Records.

The Gerry Mulligan Quartet lasted for less than a year, ending when its leader went to jail on a drug charge in June of 1953. Baker soon formed his own quartet, which initially featured Russ Freeman on piano, Red Mitchell on bass, and Bobby White on drums. Baker won a number of polls (including DownBeat and Metronome) in the next few years. In 1954, Pacific Jazz released "Chet Baker Sings," an album that increased his popularity but alienated traditional jazz fans; he would continue to sing for the rest of his career. By 1955, he had made his acting debut in the film Hell's Horizon. He declined an offer of a studio contract and toured Europe from September 1955 to April 1956. When he returned to the U.S., he formed a quintet that featured saxophonist Phil Urso and pianist Bobby Timmons. Contrary to his reputation for relaxed, laid-back playing, Baker turned to more of a bop style with this group, which recorded the album "Chet Baker & Crew" for Pacific Jazz in July 1956.

Baker toured the U.S. in February 1957 with the Birdland All Stars and took a group to Europe later that year. He returned to Europe to stay in 1959, settling in Italy, where he acted in the film Urlatori Alla Sbarra. In 1960, a fictionalized film biography of his life, "All the Fine Young Cannibals," appeared with Robert Wagner in the starring role of Chad Bixby.

Baker had become addicted to heroin in the 1950s and had been incarcerated briefly on several occasions, but his drug habit only began to interfere with his career significantly in the 1960s. He was arrested in Italy in the summer of 1960 and spent almost a year and a half in jail. Upon his release he recorded "Chet Is Back" (since reissued as "The Italian Sessions" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow") in 1962. Later in the year, he was arrested in West Germany and expelled to Switzerland, then France, later moving to England in August 1962 to appear as himself in the 1963 film "The Stolen Hours." He was deported from England to France because of a drug offense in March 1963. He lived in Paris and performed there and in Spain over the next year, but after being arrested again in West Germany, he was deported back to the U.S. He returned to America after five years in Europe on March 3, 1964, and played primarily in New York and Los Angeles during the mid-'60s, having switched temporarily from trumpet to flügelhorn. During this period he recorded several excellent recordings for the Prestige label. In the summer of 1966, he suffered a severe beating in San Francisco that was related to his drug addiction. In the late 1960s Baker's teeth had deteriorated to the point where he was fitted with dentures and had to retrain his embouchure (it is commonly misstated that the beating in 1966 left him with no teeth). By the early 1970s he had stopped playing altogether.

Although he remained an addict, Baker began to control his herion addiction by taking methadone, and eventually mounted a comeback that culminated in a prominent New York club engagement in November 1973 and a reunion concert with Gerry Mulligan at Carnegie Hall in November 1974. By the mid-'70s, Baker returned to Europe and spent the rest of his life performing there primarily, with occasional trips to Japan and periods back in the U.S., though he had no permanent residence.

In 1987, photographer/filmmaker Bruce Weber began work on a documentary film about Baker. The following year, Baker died in a fall from a hotel window in Amsterdam after taking heroin and cocaine. Weber's film, "Let's Get Lost," premiered in September 1988 to critical acclaim and earned an Academy Award nomination. In 1997, Baker's unfinished autobiography was published under the title As Though I Had Wings: The Lost Memoir and the book was optioned by Miramax for a film adaptation.

Baker's constant need for cash to supply his drug addiction led him to accept many recording offers he should probably have avoided, while his unreliability prevented record companies from signing him to long-term commitments. As a result, his discography is extensive and unfortunately uneven.

Source: http://www.shout.net/~jmh/baker/biography.htm

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Biography by William Ruhlmann

Chet Baker was a primary exponent of the West Coast school of cool jazz in the early and mid-'50s. As a trumpeter, he had a generally restrained, intimate playing style and he attracted attention beyond jazz for his photogenic looks and singing. But his career was marred by drug addiction. 

Baker's father, Chesney Henry Baker,Sr., was a guitarist who was forced to turn to other work during the Depression; his mother, Vera (Moser) Baker, worked in a perfumery. The family moved from Oklahoma to Glendale, CA, in 1940. As a child, Baker sang at amateur competitions and in a church choir. Before his adolescence, his father brought home a trombone for him, then replaced it with a trumpet when the larger instrument proved too much for him. He had his first formal training in music at Glendale Junior High School, but would play largely by ear for the rest of his life. In 1946, when he was only 16 years old, he dropped out of high school and his parents signed papers allowing him to enlist in the army; he was sent to Berlin, Germany, where he played in the 298th Army Band. After his discharge in 1948, he enrolled at El Camino College in Los Angeles, where he studied theory and harmony while playing in jazz clubs, but he quit college in the middle of his second year. He re-enlisted in the army in 1950 and became a member of the Sixth Army Band at the Presidio in San Francisco. But he also began sitting in at clubs in the city and he finally obtained a second discharge to become a professional jazz musician. 

Baker initially played in Vido Musso's band, then with Stan Getz. (The first recording featuring Baker is a performance of "Out of Nowhere" that comes from a tape of a jam session made on March 24, 1952, and was released on the Fresh Sound Records LP Live at the Trade Winds.) His break came quickly, when, in the spring of 1952, he was chosen at an audition to play a series of West Coast dates with Charlie Parker, making his debut with the famed saxophonist at the Tiffany Club in Los Angeles on May 29, 1952. That summer, he began playing in the Gerry Mulligan Quartet, a group featuring only baritone sax, trumpet, bass, and drums -- no piano -- that attracted attention during an engagement at the Haig nightclub and through recordings on the newly formed Pacific Jazz Records (later known as World Pacific Records), beginning with the 10" LP Gerry Mulligan Quartet, which featured Baker's famous rendition of "My Funny Valentine."

The Gerry Mulligan Quartet lasted for less than a year, folding when its leader went to jail on a drug charge in June 1953. Baker went solo, forming his own quartet, which initially featured Russ Freeman on piano, Red Mitchell on bass, and Bobby White on drums, and making his first recording as leader for Pacific Jazz on July 24, 1953. Baker was hailed by fans and critics and he won a number of polls in the next few years. In 1954, Pacific Jazz released Chet Baker Sings, an album that increased his popularity but alienated traditional jazz fans; he would continue to sing for the rest of his career. Acknowledging his chiseled good looks, nearby Hollywood came calling and he made his acting debut in the film Hell's Horizon, released in the fall of 1955. But he declined an offer of a studio contract and toured Europe from September 1955 to April 1956. When he returned to the U.S., he formed a quintet that featured saxophonist Phil Urso and pianist Bobby Timmons. Contrary to his reputation for relaxed, laid-back playing, Baker turned to more of a bop style with this group, which recorded the album Chet Baker & Crew for Pacific Jazz in July 1956.

Baker toured the U.S. in February 1957 with the Birdland All-Stars and took a group to Europe later that year. He returned to Europe to stay in 1959, settling in Italy, where he acted in the film Urlatori Alla Sbarra. Hollywood, meanwhile, had not entirely given up on him, at least as a source of inspiration, and in 1960, a fictionalized film biography of his life, All the Fine Young Cannibals, appeared with Robert Wagner in the starring role of Chad Bixby. 

Baker had become addicted to heroin in the 1950s and had been incarcerated briefly on several occasions, but his drug habit only began to interfere with his career significantly in the 1960s. He was arrested in Italy in the summer of 1960 and spent almost a year and a half in jail. He celebrated his release by recording Chet Is Back! for RCA in February 1962. (It has since been reissued as The Italian Sessions and as Somewhere Over the Rainbow.) Later in the year, he was arrested in West Germany and expelled to Switzerland, then France, later moving to England in August 1962 to appear as himself in the film The Stolen Hours, which was released in 1963. He was deported from England to France because of a drug offense in March 1963. He lived in Paris and performed there and in Spain over the next year, but after being arrested again in West Germany, he was deported back to the U.S. He returned to America after five years in Europe on March 3, 1964, and played primarily in New York and Los Angeles during the mid-'60s, having switched temporarily from trumpet to flügelhorn. In the summer of 1966, he suffered a severe beating in San Francisco that was related to his drug addiction. The incident is usually misdated and frequently exaggerated in accounts of his life, often due to his own unreliable testimony. It is said, for example, that all his teeth were knocked out, which is not the case, though one tooth was broken and the general deterioration of his teeth led to his being fitted with dentures in the late '60s, forcing him to retrain his embouchure. The beating was not the cause of the decline in his career during this period, but it is emblematic of that decline. By the end of the '60s, he was recording and performing only infrequently and he stopped playing completely in the early '70s.

Regaining some control over his life by taking methadone to control his heroin addiction (though he remained an addict), Baker eventually mounted a comeback that culminated in a prominent New York club engagement in November 1973 and a reunion concert with Gerry Mulligan at Carnegie Hall in November 1974 that was recorded and released by Epic Records. By the mid-'70s, Baker was able to return to Europe and he spent the rest of his life performing there primarily, with occasional trips to Japan and periods back in the U.S., though he had no

permanent residence. He attracted the attention of rock musicians, with whom he occasionally performed, for example adding trumpet to Elvis Costello's recording of his anti-Falklands War song "Shipbuilding" in 1983. In 1987, photographer and filmmaker Bruce Weber undertook a documentary film about Baker. The following year, Baker died in a fall from a hotel window in Amsterdam after taking heroin and cocaine. Weber's film, Let's Get Lost, premiered in September 1988 to critical acclaim and earned an Academy Award nomination. In 1997, Baker's unfinished autobiography was published under the title As Though I Had Wings: The Lost Memoir and the book was optioned by Miramax for a film adaptation. 

Baker's drug addiction caused him to lead a disorganized and peripatetic life, his constant need for cash requiring him to accept many ill-advised recording offers, while his undependability prevented him from making long-term commitments to record labels. As a result, his discography is extensive and wildly uneven.

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Few musicians have embodied the romantic, and ultimately tragic, jazz figure as totally as Chet Baker. A lyrical, self-taught improviser with a soft touch that seemed to kiss the notes as they flew by, Baker laid claim to Miles Davis' cool, laid-back approach early on and made it his, for life. With his wan, Hollywood good looks and bad-boy reputation, Baker became the posterboy for West Coast cool jazz. In a style that combined restraint with a certain nervous agitation and a strong dose of sentimentality, particularly on ballads, Baker captured the imagination not only of jazz lovers, but of a general public fascinated as much by his lifestyle as his music. Baker's high, whispered vocals, even more popular now than in his heyday, captured the same sleepy intimacy as his trumpet, particularly on such tunes as "I Fall in Love Too Easily," and "Everything Happens To Me." 

Baker, who never learned to read music, got his training in army bands, where he developed a spare and introverted voice on the horn. After moving to Los Angeles, Chet toured briefly with Charlie Parker and came to national attention later that year while working with Gerry Mulligan's quartet, establishing an instant personality through the absence of a piano and the intriguing counterpoint between trumpet and baritone sax. An early recording of "My Funny Valentine" by the Mulligan quartet caused a national sensation and made the fragile sound of Baker's horn emblematic of an entire "cool" attitude. In 1953, Baker began a recording and performing relationship with pianist Russ Freeman that solidified his status as a major jazz star. He soon formed his own group, and for the middle to late 1950s made a series of successful discs that boosted his path to stardom. One key to this success was his singing, which sustained the wistful vulnerability of his trumpet work. His good looks and growing reputation for high living also fed his notoriety, although a growing frequency of drug incidents soon began to overshadow his playing.

His world collapsed in 1960 when he was sentenced to a prison term while on tour in Italy. He returned to the U.S. in 1964, where he made several fine albums with George Coleman and Kirk Lightsey. Then his career seemed permanently ended in 1968, when Baker lost his teeth in an altercation with other junkies in San Francisco. He stopped playing for two years, resurfacing again in New York in 1973, where he renewed his recording career. Although he never became free of the shadow of drugs, he resumed his place among the world's leading jazz trumpeters. Just before he died on May 13, 1988, in Amsterdam, under mysterious circumstances, falling out of a second story window, Baker played himself in a revealing documentary by Bruce Weber, Let's Get Lost. The beginning of an autobiography, As Though I Had Wings, appeared posthumously in 1997.

Chet Baker born December 23rd 1929, Yale, Oklahoma, died May 13 1988, Amsterdam, Holland.

Source: www.jazztrumpetsolos.com/ Chet.htm

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Discography

With Charlie Parker: Inglewood Jam: Bird and Chet Live at the Trade Winds (1952) (Fresh Sound FRS-CD 17)
With Al Haig: Chet Baker: Live at the Trade Winds (1952) (Fresh Sound FSCD1001)
Gerry Mulligan Quartet Featuring Chet Baker (1952) (Fantasy OJCCD-711-2)
Haig '53: the other piano-less quartet (1953) (Philology)
L.A get together (1953) (Fresh Sound)
Chet Baker & strings [bonus tracks] (1953) (Columbia/Legacy)
Chet Baker sings (1953) (Pacific)
Compositions and arrangements by Jack Montrose (1953) (Pacific Jazz)
Grey December (1953) (Pacific Jazz)
Quartet live, vol. 1: This time the dream's on me (1953) (Blue Note)
Witch doctor (1953) (Original Jazz Classics)
Chet Baker big band (1954) (Pacific Jazz)
Chet Baker sextet (1954) (Pacific Jazz)
Jazz at Ann Arbor (1954) (Pacific Jazz)
My funny Valentine (1954) (Philology)
Quartet live, vol. 2: Out of nowhere (1954) (Blue Note)
Quartet live, vol. 3: My old flame (1954) (Blue Note)
The trumpet artistry of Chet Baker (1954) (Pacific)
Chet Baker sings and plays with Bud Shank, Russ Freeman & strings (1955) (Pacific Jazz)
In Europe, 1955 (1955) (Philology)
At the Forum Theater (1956) (Fresh Sound)
Chet Baker & Crew (1956) (Pacific Jazz)
Chet Baker cools out (1956) (Boblicity)
Chet Baker in Europe (1956) (Pacific Jazz)
Chet Baker Sings (1956) (Pacific Jazz)
Live in Europe 1956 (1956) (Accord)
Playboys (1956) (Pacific Jazz)
Quartet: Russ Freeman/Chet Baker (1956) (Pacific Jazz)
The James Dean story (1956) (Blue Note)
Embraceable You (1957) (Pacific Jazz)
Pretty/groovy (1957) (World Pacific)
Chet (The lyrical trumpet of Chet Baker) (1958) (Original Jazz Classics)
Chet Baker in New York (1958) (Riverside/OJC)
Chet Baker introduces Johnny Pace (1958) (Original Jazz Classics)
Chet Baker meets Stan Getz (1958) (Verve)
Chet Baker sings it could happen to you (1958) (Riverside/OJC)
Theme music from « The James Dean story » (1958) (World Pacific)
Chet (1959) (Riverside)
Chet Baker in Milan (1959) (Jazzland/OJC)
Chet Baker plays (1959) (Riverside)
Chet Baker plays the best of Lerner and Loewe (1959) (Original Jazz Classics)
Chet Baker with fifty Italian strings (1959) (Original Jazz Classics)
Picture of heath (1961) (Pacific Jazz)
Chet is back! (1962) (RCA)
Chet is back! (1962) (Bluebird)
Somewhere Over the Rainbow (1962) (Bluebird)
Italian Movies (1962)
The most important jazz album of 1964/65 (1964) (Roulette Jazz)
Brussels 1964 (1964) (Landscape)
Chet Baker sings and plays (1964) (Colpix)
Stella by starlight (1964) (CMA)
Baby breeze (1965) (Limelight)
Baker's holiday: plays & sings Billie Holiday (1965) (EmArcy)
Boppin' with the Chet Baker quintet (1965) (Prestige)
Comin' on with the Chet Baker quintet (1965) (Prestige)
Cool burnin' with the Chet Baker quintet (1965) (Prestige)
Groovin' with the Chet Baker quintet (1965) (Prestige)
Smokin' (1965) (Prestige)
A taste of tequila (1966) (World Pacific)
Hats off!!! (1966) (World Pacific)
Into my life (1966) (World Pacific)
Live at Pueblo, Colorado 1966 (1966) (Baker)
Quietly, there (1966) (World Pacific)
Polka dots and moonbeams (1967) (Jazzland)
Albert's house (1969) (Par)
Blood, Chet & tears (1970) (Verve)
She was too good to me (1974) (Columbia)
Once upon a summertime (1977) (Original Jazz Classics)
The best thing for you (1977) (A&M)
The incredible Chet Baker plays and sings (1977) (Carosellp)
At le Dreher (1978) (West Wind)
Broken wing (1978) (Inner City)
Live at Nick's (1978) (Criss Cross)
Live in Chateauvallon, 1978 (1978) (Esoldun)
Sings, plays: Live at the Keystone Korner (1978) (High Note)
Two a day (1978) (All live)
79 (1979) (Celluloid)
Ballads for two (1979) (Sandra)
Chet Baker with Wolfgang Lackerschmid (1979) (Inakustik)
Day break (1979) (SteepleChase)
Live in Montmartre, vol. 2 (1979) (SteepleChase)
No problem (1979) (SteepleChase)
Someday my prince will come (1979) (SteepleChase)
The touch of your lips (1979) (SteepleChase)
This is always (1979) (SteepleChase)
Together (1979) (Enja Records)
With special guests (featuring Coryell, Williams & Williams) (1979) (Inakustik)
Burnin' at Backstreet (1980) (Fresh Sounds)
Chet Baker and the Boto Brazilian Quartet (1980) (Dreyfus)
Just friends (1980) (Circle)
Live at the Subway, Vol. 1 (1980) (Circle)
Live at the Subway, Vol. 2 (1980) (Circle)
Night bird (1980) (WestWind)
Nightbird (1980) (Retro Music)
Live at Fat Tuesday's (1981) (Fresh Sound)
Live at the Paris Festival (1981) (DIW)
Live in Paris (1981) (Norma)
In concert (1982) (India Navigation)
Out of nowhere (1982) (Milestone)
Peace (1982) (Enja Records)
Studio Trieste (1982) (CTI)
At Capolinea (1983) (Red)
Club 21 Paris, Vol. 1 (1983) (Philology)
Live at New Morning (1983) (Marshmallow)
Live in Sweden with Åke Johansson trio (1983) (Dragon)
Mister B (1983)
Mr. B (1983) (Timeless)
September Song (1983) (Marshmallow)
Star eyes (1983) (Marshmallow)
The improviser (1983) (Cadence Jazz)
Blues for a reason (1984) (Criss Cross)
Line for Lyons (1984) (Sonet)
Chet Baker Plays Vladimir Cosma (1984) (Carrere[F] CA 800 96 251)
Candy (1985) (Gazell)
Chet Baker in Bologna (1985) (Dreyfus)
Chet's choice (1985) (Criss Cross)
Diane (1985) (SteepleChase) with Paul Bley
Hazy hugs (1985) (Limetree)
Live from the moonlight (1985) (Philology)
Misty (1985) (IRD)
My Foolish Heart (1985) (IRD)
Sings again (1985) (Bellaphon)
Strollin' (1985) (Enja Records)
Symphonically (1985) (Soul Note)
There'll never be another you (1985) (Timeless)
Time after time (1985) (IRD)
Tune up (1985) (Westwind)
As Time Goes By (1986) (Timeless)
As time goes by [love songs] (1986) (Timeless)
Chet Baker featuring Van Morrison live at Ronnie Scott's (1986) (DRG)
Live at Ronnie Scott's (1986) (Drg)
When sunny gets blue (1986) (SteepleChase)
A night at the Shalimar (1987) (Philology)
Chet Baker in Tokyo (1987) (Evidence)
Chet Baker sings and plays from the film « Let's get lost » (1987) (Jive/Novus)
Four: live in Tokyo, vol. 2 (1987) (Paddle Wheel)
Memories: Chet Baker in Tokyo (1987) (Paddle Wheel)
Welcome back (1987) (Westwind)
"Blåmann! Blåmann!" (1988) (Hot Club Records, Oslo)
Farewell (1988) (Timeless)
In memory of (1988) (L & R Music)
Little Girl Blue (1988) (Philology)
My favourite songs, vol. 2: Straight from the heart (1988) (Enja Records)
My favourite songs, vols. 1-2: The last great concert (1988) (Enja Records)
Oh you crazy moon (1988) (Enja Records Justin Time)
Straight from the heart (1988) (Enja Records)
The heart of the ballad (1988) (Phililogy)
The best of Chet Baker sings (1989) (Blue Note Records)
Lonely Star, The Prestige Sessions (1996) (Prestige)(CD Reissue of the Prestige Sessions from 1965)