Chet Baker

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Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz musician.

Raised in a musical household in Oklahoma (his father was a guitar player), and coming of age in Southern California during the bebop era of jazz, Baker found success as a trumpet player 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. Baker became famous on the strength of his solo on their recording of "My Funny Valentine", a piece he was later said to "own". The Quartet, however, lasted less than a year because of Mulligan's arrest on drug charges. In 1954, Baker won the Downbeat Jazz Poll, beating Miles Davis among others. Over the next few years, Baker fronted his own combo, playing trumpet and singing. He became an icon of the west coast "cool school" of jazz, helped by his good looks and singing talent, although many considered the latter an acquired taste. By the early 1960s, Baker had begun playing the fluegelhorn, as well.

Then, drug addiction caught up with Baker, and his promising musical career declined as a result. Heroin addiction created a myriad of legal problems for him as well; he served more than a year in prison in Italy, 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 writing his own prescriptions. In 1966, Baker allegedly was severely beaten while attempting to buy drugs after a gig in San Francisco. Accounts of the incident vary, largely because of his 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. Anyhow, Baker was left without front teeth which meant that he had to learn to play with dentures, a difficult process for a brass player. Between 1966 and 1974, Baker mostly played flugelhorn and recorded what must be considered slick mood music. He eventually moved to New York City and began recording again in earnest with other well known jazz musicians such as 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.

Baker recorded extensively throughout his career, mainly because of his overwhelming need for money to buy drugs. As a result, his discography is considered widely uneven. However, some of Baker's European recordings, made near the end of his career, reveal a more mature and, at times, brilliant talent with simplicity and depth beyond his previous work.

Near the end of Baker's life, he resided and played almost exclusively in Europe, returning to the USA about once a year for a few performance dates. On May 13, 1988, he fell (or was pushed) from his second story hotel window in Amsterdam and died. There was speculation that he was under the influence of drugs at the time, however his autopsy revealed that he was sober. There were also rumors that a suicide note was found but is held in private hands. A plaquette outside the Prins Hendrik Hotel memorializes him. Baker's body was brought home for interment in the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.

The iconic side of Chet Baker was captured by the photographer William Claxton in his book Young Chet: The Young Chet Baker. A documentary film about his career, Let's Get Lost (film), also portrayed Chet as a cultural icon of the 1950s, but juxtaposed this with his later image as a drug abuser. The film, released in 1988 and directed by fashion photographer Bruce Weber, was shot in black and white, and includes a series of interviews with friends, family, associates and lovers, interspersed with film from Baker's earlier life, and with interviews with Baker from his last years.

In 2005 Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry and the Oklahoma House of Representatives proclaimed July 2, 2005 as “Chet Baker Day”.

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Partial discography

Haig '53: the other pianoless 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)
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)
With special guests (featuring Coryell, Williams & Williams) (1979) (Inakustik)
Burnin' at Backstreet (1980) (Fresh Sounds)
Chet Baker and the Boto Brasilian 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)
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)
Candy (1985) (Gazell)
Chet Baker in Bologna (1985) (Dreyfus)
Chet's choice (1985) (Criss Cross)
Diane: Chet Baker and Paul Bley (1985) (SteepleChase)
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)
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)
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)
My favourite songs, vols. 1-2: The last great concert (1988) (Enja)
Oh you crazy moon (1988) (Enja Justin Time)
Straight from the heart (1988) (Enja)
The heart of the ballad (1988) (Phililogy)