Last semester, I took the History of Jazz, where I learned about Chet Baker's tumultuous life.
Chet Baker was born Chesney Henry Baker, Jr. on December 23, 1929 in Yale, Oklahoma. He specialized in relaxed, even melancholy music; Baker rose to prominence as a leading name in the cool jazz movement in the 1950’s. Baker’s good looks and delicate singing established him as a promising name in pop music as well. He earned much renown in 1951, when he was chosen by Charlie Parker to play the trumpet with him for a series of West Coast engagements. However, his success was badly hampered by drug addiction, along with spending time in jail for various drug charges. He mounted a successful comeback in the 1970’s, but died after falling from a Amsterdam hotel window in 1988.
Listen to:
Let’s Get Lost
• Recorded March 7, 1955 in Los Angeles
• Personnel
– Chet Baker (trumpet & vocals)
– Russ Freeman (piano)
– Carson Smith (bass)
– Bob Neel (drums)
(images from: http://chetbakertribute.com/. Photos by: William Claxton, Jean-Pierre Leloir, Herman Leonard)
