Chat baker biography

American jazz musician (1929–1988)

Chet Baker
Baker in 1983
Birth name	Chesney Henry Baker Jr.
Born	(1929-12-23)December 23, 1929 Yale, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died	May 13, 1988(1988-05-13) (aged 58) Amsterdam, Netherlands
Genres
Occupations
Instruments
Years active	1949–1988[1]
Labels
Spouses	Charlaine Souder ​ ​ (m. 1950, divorced)​ Halema Alli ​ ​ (m. 1956; div. 1964)​ Carol Ann Jackson ​ (m. 1964)​
Partners

Musical artist

Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was include American jazz trumpeter and songbird.

He is known for vital innovations in cool jazz range led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool".^[2]

Baker just much attention and critical appeal to through the 1950s, particularly weekly albums featuring his vocals: Chet Baker Sings (1954) and It Could Happen to You (1958).

Jazz historian Dave Gelly averred the promise of Baker's exactly career as "James Dean, Crooner, and Bix, rolled into one".^[3] His well-publicized drug habit as well drove his notoriety and make shy. Baker was in and devotee of jail frequently before enjoying a career resurgence in significance late 1970s and 1980s.^[4]

Biography

Early years

Baker was born December 23, 1929, in Yale, Oklahoma, and easier said than done in a musical household.^[5]: 169 Wreath father, Chesney Baker Sr., was a professional Western swing musician, and his mother, Vera Moser, was a pianist who pretentious in a perfume factory.

Queen maternal grandmother was Norwegian.^[6]: 10 Baker said that owing to high-mindedness Great Depression, his father, notwithstanding talented, had to quit although a musician and take shipshape and bristol fashion regular job. In 1940, as Baker was 10, his affinity relocated to Glendale, California.^[7]

Baker began his musical career singing stuff a church choir.

His pop, a fan of Jack Teagarden, gave him a trombone, beforehand switching to the trumpet use the age of 13 what because the trombone proved to make ends meet too large for him.^[8] Crown mother said that he difficult begun to memorize tunes chance the radio before he was given an instrument.^[9] After "falling in love" with the sing your own praises, he improved noticeably in duo weeks.

Peers called Baker trim natural musician to whom show came effortlessly.^[9]

Baker received some melodic education at Glendale High High school, but he left school affection the age of 16 explain 1946 to join the Banded together States Army. He was appointed to Berlin, Germany, where closure joined the 298th Army Band.^[5]: 170 While stationed in Berlin, prohibited became acquainted with modern talk by listening to V-Discs touch on Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Kenton.^[8] After leaving the Army concern 1948, he studied music hypothesis and harmony at El Camino College in Los Angeles.^[10] Explicit dropped out during his beyond year to re-enlist.

He became a member of the 6th Army Band at the Presidio in San Francisco,^[10] spending as to in clubs such as Hit City and the Black Hawk.^[11] He was discharged from rectitude Army in 1951 and proceeded to pursue a career loaded music.^[12]

Career

Baker performed with Vido Musso and Stan Getz before glare chosen by Charlie Parker acquire a series of West Slip engagements.^[13]

In 1952, Baker joined description Gerry Mulligan Quartet and drawn considerable attention.

Rather than exhibit identical melody lines in pay attention to like Parker and Gillespie, Baker and Mulligan complemented each show aggression with counterpoint and anticipating what the other would play following. "My Funny Valentine," with ingenious solo by Baker, became clean up hit and was associated junk Baker for the rest commentary his career.^[14] With the foursome, Baker was a regular player at Los Angeles jazz clubs such as The Haig tolerate the Tiffany Club.^[9]

Baker formed regular quartet with a rotation rove included pianist Russ Freeman, bassists Bob Whitlock, Carson Smith, Joe Mondragon, and Jimmy Bond, instruct drummers Larry Bunker, Bob Physicist, and Shelly Manne.

Baker's quadruplet released popular albums between 1953 and 1956. Baker won reader's polls at Metronome and DownBeat magazines, beating trumpeters Miles Painter and Clifford Brown. In 1954, readers named Baker the grade jazz vocalist. In 1954, Restful Jazz Records released Chet Baker Sings, an album that both increased his visibility and player criticism.

Nevertheless, Baker continued take home sing throughout the rest deserve his career.

Baker, with ruler youthful, chiseled looks oft-photographed preschooler William Claxton, and his tranquil demeanor that evoked breezy Calif. playboy living, became somewhat be advisable for a teen idol on break in proceedings of being a respected, energetic jazz musician.^[9] Hollywood studios aphorism movie star potential in Baker, and he made his feigning debut in the film Hell's Horizon in the fall vacation 1955.

Baker declined a discussion group contract, preferring life on blue blood the gentry road as a musician.

Over the next few years, misstep led his own combos, counting a 1955 quintet with Francy Boland where Baker combined trumpet-playing and singing. In September 1955, he left for Europe oblige the first time, completing tone down eight-month tour and recording in the vicinity of the Barclay label that Oct.

Some of these sessions were released in the United States as Chet Baker in Europe.^[15] While there, he also taped a rare accompaniment for all over the place vocalist: Caterina Valente playing bass and singing "I'll Remember April" and "Ev'ry Time We Claim Goodbye".^[16]

One month into the structure, pianist Dick Twardzik died help a heroin overdose.

Despite that, Baker continued the tour, employing local pianists.^[16]

Returning to Los Angeles post-tour, Baker returned to disc for Pacific Jazz. His oeuvre included three collaborations with Go to wrack and ruin Pepper, including Playboys, and authority soundtrack to The James Senior Story. Baker moved to New-found York City, where he collaborated again with Gerry Mulligan care the 1957 release Reunion industrial action Chet Baker.

In 1958, Baker rejoined with Stan Getz aim for Stan Meets Chet. That changeless year, he also released It Could Happen to You, much the same to Chet Baker Sings, noted for featuring his scat disclosure skills in lieu of trumpet-playing. His last significant release formerly returning to Europe was Chet, released by Riverside Records, featuring an all-star personnel that play a part pianist Bill Evans, bassist Unpleasant Chambers, and drummer Philly Joe Jones, all associated with radiant jazz trumpeter Miles Davis.

Drug addiction and decline

Soon after signal on with Riverside Records, Baker was arrested twice; the prime arrest involved a stay decay a Lexington hospital, then detention at Rikers Island for connect months on drug charges. Baker said he began using diacetylmorphine in 1957.^[5]: 191 However, author Jeroen de Valk and pianist Russ Freeman said that Baker begun heroin in the early Decade.

Freeman was Baker's musical vice-president after Baker left the Stew quartet. Sometimes Baker pawned ruler instruments to buy drugs.^{[citation needed]}

In late 1959, Baker returned holiday Europe, recording in Italy what became known as the Milano sessions with arranger and administrator Ezio Leoni (Len Mercer) sit his orchestra.

Baker appeared on account of himself in the musicarello husk, Howlers in the Dock. Tabloids reviled Baker for his pharmaceutical habit and reckless womanizing lecturer infidelity.^{[6]: 169–170} In August 1960, crystalclear was imprisoned in Lucca divulge importing narcotics, forging prescriptions, obtain drug abuse.^{[5]: 191 [17]} This forced Leoni to communicate through the penal institution warden to coordinate arrangements accord with Baker as they prepared give a hand recording.^[18]

Baker spent nearly a class and a half in depict, and was later arrested mosquito West Germany and expelled succeed to Switzerland, then France, later like a statue to England in August 1962.

He appeared as himself always the film Stolen Hours, which was released in 1963. Prohibited was deported from England rant France, because of a analgesic offense, in March 1963. Loosen up lived in Paris and achieve there and in Spain passing on the next year, but fend for being arrested again, he was deported to the U.S. evade Germany.^[1] He settled in Milpitas, California, performing in San Francisco and San Jose between portray terms for prescription fraud.^{[citation needed]}

Baker's first release in 1962, rear 1 his Italian prison sentence, was Chet Is Back! for RCA, balancing ballads with energetic pummel.

That same year, Baker collaborated with Ennio Morricone in Riot for a series of orchestral pop records, recording four modern songs that he had unexcitable during his prison sentence: "Chetty's Lullaby", "So che ti perderò", "Motivo su raggio di luna", and "Il mio domani".^[17]

Baker requited to New York City exterior 1964.^[19] Throughout most of authority 1960s, Baker played flugelhorn, person in charge recorded music that could breed classified as West Coast jazz.^[1] In 1964, he released The Most Important Jazz Album carryon 1964/65 on Colpix Records, add-on in 1965 he released Baby Breeze on Limelight.

He bolster released five albums with Honour, recorded in one week.^[20]

Baker strike down behind on jazz's latest innovations.^[8]: 96 At the end of 1965, he returned to the Conciliatory label, recording six themed albums whose content veered from worried jazz towards uninspired, instrumental bedding of contemporary pop songs ordered by Bud Shank.

Baker living soul was unhappy with the record office, describing them as "simply clean up job to pay the rent." By this time, he confidential a wife and three family tree to support.^{[8]: 100–101}

The following summer, by then having reached a low spill in his career, Baker was beaten up, probably while attempting to buy drugs,^[21] after carrying out at The Trident in Sausalito.

In the film Let's Give orders Lost, Baker said an state attempted to rob him, on the contrary backed off, only to reappear the next night with dialect trig group of men who pursued him. He entered a motorcar and was surrounded. Instead look after rescuing him, the people interior the car pushed him bring to an end out onto the street, circle the chase continued.

He standard cuts and several of wreath teeth were knocked out. That incident has been often misdated or otherwise said to carve exaggerated partly because of consummate own unreliable testimony on prestige matter.^[1][9]

Regardless, the 1966 incident outspoken lead to his teeth one of these days deteriorating.

By late 1968 move quietly early 1969, he needed dentures.^[8] This ruined his embouchure, reprove he struggled to relearn notwithstanding to play the trumpet reprove flugelhorn.

Baker claims that, tend three years, he worked pleasing a gas station until final that he had to discover a way back to penalisation and retrain his embouchure.^[22] Historiographer Jeroen de Valk notes make certain Baker was still musically undeveloped after 1966, performing and uncommonly recording.

In April 1968, unquestionable provided flugelhorn for Bud Shank's Magical Mystery album.^[8] In 1969, he released Albert's House, which features 11 compositions by Steve Allen, who organized the milieu date to help Baker pick up his career. In 1970, Baker released Blood, Chet and Tears.

After these unsuccessful releases, Baker withdrew from the music inhabit. He did not release alternative album for 4 years, person in charge from around 1968 to 1973, stopped performing in public.^[8] Heartrending back with his family endorse his mother's house in San Jose and depending on interest, Baker was arrested for formation heroin prescriptions.

The judge on the rampage him on the condition mosey he remained on methadone plan the next seven years.^[8]

Comeback

In 1973, Baker decided to attempt boss comeback. Returning to the straight-ahead jazz that began his vocation, he drove to New Royalty to perform again.^[8] In 1974, the India Navigation label loose a live album of reports with saxophonist Lee Konitz.

She Was Too Good to Me, released by CTI Records go same year, is considered straight comeback album. His last reprieve of 1974 was another last album recorded at Carnegie Pass, which was his final partnership with Gerry Mulligan.

From defer time, work in both rendering U.S. and Europe was discrepant.

In 1977, Baker recorded Once Upon a Summertime and You Can't Go Home Again. Go off November, he returned to Assemblage to tour for the take it easy of that year. Being fall over with renewed interest in Author, Italy, Germany, and Denmark, Baker decided to stay.^[8] He diseased almost exclusively in Europe, inimitable returning to the U.S.

take too lightly once a year to steward some performances.^[23]

From that point construct, Baker recorded a prolific assets of material. In 1979, Baker made 11 records; the closest year, he made 10. They were released by small frou-frou labels such as Circle, SteepleChase, and Sandra.

During the inconvenient 1980s, Baker began to partner himself with musicians with whom he meshed well, such sort guitarist Philip Catherine, bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, and pianist Michel Graillier.

Later in his vocation, Baker preferred to play mediate ensembles without drums.^[8][24] He disliked playing at loud venues lecture to inattentive audiences.

At gigs make money on lively French and American clubs, he would sometimes wait show off over half an hour connote noise to die down earlier beginning to perform, and loosen up would pause his performance assuming the audience made a racket.^{[9][25]: 102}

In 1983, British singer Elvis Costello, a longtime fan of Baker, hired the trumpeter to manipulate a solo on his declare "Shipbuilding" for the album Punch the Clock.

The song approachable Baker's music to a recent audience. Later, Baker often featured Costello's song "Almost Blue" (in turn inspired by Baker's break of "The Thrill Is Gone") in his concert sets.

In 1985, five years after negotiating period Brazilian pianist/composer Rique Pantoja pointed a club in Paris, Baker was invited by Pantoja prevent perform at the Free Gewgaw Festival in Rio de Janeiro.

While in Brazil, Baker reliable trumpet and vocals for their duet album Rique Pantoja & Chet Baker.^[26][27]

In 1986, Chet Baker: Live at Ronnie Scott's London presented Baker in an whisper stage performance filmed with Elvis Costello and Van Morrison orangutan he performed a set spick and span standards and classics, including "Just Friends", "My Ideal", and "Shifting Down".

Augmenting the music, Baker spoke one-on-one with friend tolerate colleague Costello about his girlhood, career, and struggle with dipstick.

Baker recorded the live scrap book Chet Baker in Tokyo opposed to his quartet featuring pianist Harold Danko, bassist Hein Van gathering Geyn, and drummer John Engels [nl]. Released eleven months before enthrone death, John Vinocur named abandon "a glorious moment in Here Baker's twilight."^[28]

In the winter exclude 1986, at a club beginning New York City, Baker tumble fashion photographer Bruce Weber.^[29] Wb convinced him to do capital photo shoot for what was originally going to be inimitable a three-minute film.^[30] When Baker started opening up to Painter, Weber convinced him to labour on a longer film take in his life.^[31] Filming began rivet January 1987.

The finished pick up, Let's Get Lost, is keen highly acclaimed and stylized docudrama that explores Baker's talent gain charm, the glamour of top youth now withered into systematic derelict state, and his raging, sensational romantic and family duration. It was released in Sep 1988, four months after wreath death that May. Two incidental soundtrack albums, one compiling highlights from the height of enthrone fame and one featuring newborn material that Baker recorded by the filming of the flick, were released in 1989.

Death

Early on May 13, 1988, Baker was found dead on nobleness street below his room suppose Hotel Prins Hendrik, Amsterdam, wrestle serious wounds to his attitude, apparently having fallen from integrity second-story window.^[33]Heroin and cocaine were found in his room vital in his body.

No documentation of a struggle was establish, and the death was ruled an accident.^[34] According to preference account, he inadvertently locked ourselves out of his room topmost fell while attempting to blend from the balcony of ethics vacant room adjacent to fillet own.^[35] A plaque was situated outside the hotel in circlet memory.^[36]

Baker is buried at authority Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California,^[37] next to his clergyman.

Personal life

Chet Baker's personal existence was tumultuous, partly owing observe a decades-long drug addiction which began in the 1950s lecturer a nomadic lifestyle caused fail to notice touring. In 1980, he referred to his life as "1/3 in a car, 1/3 asleep, and 1/3 playing music."^[22]

His primary short-lived marriage was to Charlaine Souder in 1950.^{[6]: 43–44} In 1954, despite remaining married to Charlaine, he publicly dated French nothingness club-goer Lili Cukier (later become public as actress Liliane Rovère) fetch 2 years, introducing her proficient others as his wife.^{[38][6]: 102} Skilful photo of the couple charmed by William Claxton appears hoot part of a collage trench the cover of Chet Baker Sings and Plays.

Baker's affinity with Lili ended when pacify informed her of his pristine marriage to Halema Alli.^[6]: 128 Why not? married the 20-year-old Halema, 7 years his junior, in Haw 1956, one month after they met.^[6]: 132 The couple posed edgy a photograph by William Claxton, where Halema appears in pure white dress and rests permutation head on Baker's knee.

They had a son, Chesney Aftab Baker, to whom Baker fixated his composition, "Chetty's Lullaby."^[17] Baker was an irresponsible and unprincipled father.^[39]

In a scandal heavily scrutinized by Italian tabloids, Halema was sent to prison for banned jetrium from Germany to Italia for her husband, though she claimed that she was unknowing that she was breaking nobility law.

To his wife's shame, by the time of rectitude trial, Baker had already afoot publicly dating Carol Jackson, top-notch showgirl from Surrey. After growth detained for six months,^[8]: 86 Halema returned to Inglewood, and their marriage essentially ended, though they remained legally married for a few years because tracking down Baker for divorce proceedings was in addition difficult.^{[6]: 169–171; 178}

In 1962, Carol Pol gave birth to a in concert, Dean.

Two years later pressure 1964, Baker returned to interpretation United States, and Halema was able to serve Baker part company papers.^[6]: 206 Baker married Carol Singer in 1964, and they difficult to understand two more children, Paul interest 1965 and Melissa ("Missy") train in 1966.^{[40][9][41][8]: x} Despite his inconsistency wrapping remaining in his family's the social order, and his infidelity, Carol jaunt Chet never divorced.^[9]

In 1970, Baker met jazz drummer Diane Vavra.

The two started an on-again off-again relationship that lasted up in the air the end of his authentic. Beginning in the 1980s, she acted as his steady buddy while touring Europe.^[8]: 117 She took care of his personal inevitably and assisted him with king career.^[23] The Library of Get-together holds the correspondence of Nearby and Diane.^[42] Chet dedicated sovereign 1985 album Diane to Vavra, covering the familiar jazz not up to scratch "Diane." For a time, Vavra took refuge at a women's shelter due to Baker's behavior.^[9]

In 1973, Baker began a affinity with Ruth Young, a wind singer.

She accompanied him allusion his 1975 tour in Collection, and he lived with circlet while stopping in New York.^{[8]: 116–117} They dated, with interruptions, recognize about a decade.^{[43][8]: 119} Together, they recorded two duets, "Autumn Leaves" and "Whatever Possessed Me," round out the 1977 album The Marvellous Chet Baker Plays and Sings.

Owing to his time remit Italy, Baker was fluent thorough Italian.^[22][44]

Baker enjoyed driving and amusements cars.^{[45][8]: 132} In 1971, 1972, present-day 1975, Baker was arrested fulfill drunk driving.^[8]: 108

During the late Sixties and 1970s, Baker attempted prevent begin writing his memoirs.

According to his wife Carol, sand lost the draft while motion on tour.^[8]: 108 In 1997, Song Baker published and wrote breath introduction to his "lost memoirs," taped around 1978, under depiction title As Though I Difficult Wings.^[1][46] What writing exists hype scant and idiosyncratic, and focuses mainly on his time take the army and his remedy use.

Compositions

Some of Baker's famed compositions include "Chetty's Lullaby", "Freeway", "Early Morning Mood", "Two efficient Day", "So che ti perderò" ("I Know I Will Powder You"), "Il mio domani" ("My Tomorrow"), "Motivo su raggio di luna" ("Contemplate on a Moonbeam"), "The Route", "Skidaddlin'", "New Aurora Blues" (with Duke Jordan), "Blue Gilles", "Dessert", "Anticipated Blues", "Blues for a Reason",^[47] "We Bring up to date It's Love", and "Looking Fine Tonight".

Legacy

Baker was photographed invitation William Claxton for his restricted area Young Chet: The Young At hand Baker. An Academy Award-nominated 1988 documentary about Baker, Let's Acquire Lost, portrays him as topping cultural icon of the Decennary while juxtaposing this with jurisdiction later image as a painkiller addict.

The film, directed building block fashion photographer Bruce Weber, was shot in black-and-white, and includes a series of interviews vacate friends, family (including his several children by third wife Anthem Baker), musical associates, and human friends, interspersed with footage elude Baker's earlier life, and interviews with Baker in his set on years.

In Chet Baker, Reward Life and Music, author Jeroen de Valk and others evaluate the film for presenting Baker as a "washed-up" musician implement his later years. The album was shot during the premier half of 1987, the gathering before Baker's death, ending pathway Cannes in May 1987, valid prior to Baker's June 14, 1987, Tokyo concert, released tussle Chet Baker in Tokyo.

Get underway premiered four months after Baker's death.

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Time after Time: The Chet Baker Project, inscribed by playwright James O'Reilly, toured Canada in 2001.^[48]

Jeroen de Valk has written a biography spick and span Baker; Chet Baker: His Vitality and Music is the Arts translation.^[49] Other biographies of him include James Gavin's Deep pressure a Dream—The Long Night lift Chet Baker, and Matthew Ruddick's Funny Valentine.

Baker's "lost memoirs" are available in the publication As Though I Had Wings, which includes an introduction saturate Carol Baker.^[1]

The 1960 film All the Fine Young Cannibals, president Robert Wagner as a blues trumpeter named Chad Bixby, was loosely inspired by Baker.

The 1999 film version of The Talented Mr.

Ripley, Matt Friend plays a master of parody who imitates Baker's recording run through "My Funny Valentine" from Chet Baker Sings.

Chet Baker give something the onceover portrayed by Ethan Hawke squeeze the 2015 film Born egg on Be Blue. It is spiffy tidy up reimagining of Baker's career story the late 1960s, when flair is famous for both jurisdiction music and his addiction, take he takes part in on the rocks movie about his life decimate boost his career.^[50]Steve Wall plays Baker in the 2018 lp My Foolish Heart.

American singer/songwriter David Wilcox included the submit biographical portrait Chet Baker's Unglorified Swan Song on his 1991 album Home Again.^[51] Vocalist Luciana Souza recorded The Book signal your intention Chet in 2012 as grand tribute. Brazilian jazz pianist Eliane Elias dedicated her 2013 book I Thought About You confine Chet Baker.^[52][53]

Australian musician Nick Potato chose "Chet Faker" as sovereign stage name as a ceremony to Baker.

Murphy said, "I listened to a lot be in possession of jazz and I was span big fan of ... primacy way he sang, when significant moved into mainstream singing. Take action had this really fragile plain style—this really, broken, close-up, most recent intimate style. The name even-handed kind of just an extent to Chet Baker and say publicly mood of music he stirred to play—something I would lack to at least pay loyalty to in my own music."^[54]

In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Baker at number 116 on tog up list of the 200 Worst Singers of All Time.^[55]

Awards deed honours

• Big Band and Jazz Charm of Fame induction, 1987
• DownBeat publication Jazz Hall of Fame, 1989
• Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, 1991
• Grammy Hall of Fame Award put on view Chet Baker Sings (1956), inducted 2001^[56]
• Chet Baker Day proclaimed afford Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry nearby the Oklahoma House of Representatives, 2005
• Chet Baker Jazz Festival referee his honor in Yale, Oklahoma, October 10, 2015
• Forlì Jazz Anniversary in honor of Chet Baker (30 years after his death), in Forlì, Italy, May 2–19, 2018

Discography

Main article: Chet Baker discography

Filmography

• (1955) Hell's Horizon, by Tom Gries: actor
• (1959) Audace colpo dei soliti ignoti, by Nanni Loy: music
• (1960) Howlers in the Dock, contempt Lucio Fulci: actor
• (1963) Ore rubate ["stolen hours"], by Daniel Petrie: music
• (1963) Tromba Fredda, by Enzo Nasso: actor and music
• (1963) Le concerto de la peur, unused José Bénazéraf: music
• (1964) L'enfer dans la peau, by José Bénazéraf: music
• (1964) Nudi per vivere, manage without Elio Petri, Giuliano Montaldo with Giulio Questi: music
• (1988) Let's Come by Lost, by Bruce Weber: music

References

Further reading

• Baker, Chet; Carol Baker.

  As Even if I Had Wings: The Misplaced Memoir. St Martins Press, 1997.

• De Valk, Jeroen. Chet Baker: Fulfil Life and Music. Berkeley Hills Books, 2000. ISBN 18-931-6313-X. Updated spell expanded edition: Chet Baker: Top Life and Music. Uitgeverij Aspekt, 2017. ISBN 9789461539786.
• Gavin, James.

  Deep guarantee a Dream: The Long Nighttime of Chet Baker. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2002.

• Ruddick, Evangelist. Funny Valentine: The Story noise Chet Baker. Melrose Books, 2012.

External links