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

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and critical praise through the 1950s, particularly for albums featuring his vocals: ''

Chet Baker Sings ''Chet Baker Sings'' is the debut vocal album by jazz musician Chet Baker, released in 1954 by Pacific Jazz Records. In 2001, the album received the Grammy Hall of Fame Award. Baker would return to selections from this album throughout his career ...

'' (1954) and '' It Could Happen to You'' (1958). Jazz historian

Dave Gelly Dave Gelly MBE (born 28 January 1938) is a British jazz critic. A long-standing contributor to ''The Observer'', he was named Jazz Writer of the Year in the 1999 British Jazz Awards. Gelly is also a jazz saxophonist and broadcaster, presenting a n ...

described the promise of Baker's early career as " James Dean, Sinatra, and

Bix Leon Bismark "Bix" Beiderbecke (March 10, 1903 – August 6, 1931) was an American jazz cornetist, pianist and composer. Beiderbecke was one of the most influential jazz soloists of the 1920s, a cornet player noted for an inventive lyrical ap ...

, rolled into one". His well-publicized drug habit also drove his notoriety and fame. Baker was in and out of jail frequently before enjoying a career resurgence in the late 1970s and 1980s.

Biography

Early years

Baker was born and raised in a musical household in

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...

, Oklahoma on 23 December 1929. His father, Chesney Baker Sr., was a professional guitarist, and his mother, Vera Moser, was a pianist who worked in a perfume factory. His maternal grandmother was Norwegian. Baker said that owing to the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, his father, though talented, had to quit as a musician and take a regular job. In 1940, when Baker was 10, his family relocated to Glendale, California. Baker began his musical career singing in a church choir. His father gave him a trombone, which was replaced with a trumpet when the trombone proved too large. His mother said that he had begun to memorize tunes on the radio before he was given an instrument. After "falling in love" with the trumpet, he improved noticeably in two weeks. Peers called Baker a natural musician to whom playing came effortlessly.'' Let's Get Lost'' (1988) documentary by Bruce Weber Baker received some musical education at Glendale High School, but he left school at the age of 16 in 1946 to join the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

. He was assigned to Berlin, Germany, where he joined the 298th Army Band. After leaving the Army in 1948, he studied music theory and harmony at

El Camino College El Camino College (Elco or ECC) is a two-year public community college located in the unincorporated area of Los Angeles County known as Alondra Park. He dropped out during his second year to re-enlist. He became a member of the Sixth Army Band at the Presidio in San Francisco, spending time in clubs such as

Bop City Bop City (also known as Jimbo's Bop City) was a jazz club operated by John "Jimbo" Edwards in San Francisco from 1949 to 1965. It was situated in the back room of a Victorian house at 1690 Post Street, in the Western Addition district. Durin ...

and the

Black Hawk Black Hawk and Blackhawk may refer to: Animals * Black Hawk (horse), a Morgan horse that lived from 1833 to 1856 * Common black hawk, ''Buteogallus anthracinus'' * Cuban black hawk, ''Buteogallus gundlachii'' * Great black hawk, ''Buteogallus urub ...

. He was discharged from the Army in 1951 and proceeded to pursue a career in music.

Career

Baker performed with Vido Musso and

Stan Getz Stanley Getz (February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre ...

before being chosen by

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...

for a series of West Coast engagements. In 1952, Baker joined the

Gerry Mulligan Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger. Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists—playing the instrum ...

Quartet and attracted considerable attention. Rather than playing identical melody lines in unison like Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, Baker and Mulligan complemented each other with counterpoint and anticipating what the other would play next. " My Funny Valentine," with a solo by Baker, became a hit and was associated with Baker for the rest of his career. With the quartet, Baker was a regular performer at Los Angeles jazz clubs such as The Haig and the Tiffany Club. Within a year, Mulligan was arrested and imprisoned on drug charges. Baker formed a quartet with a rotation that included pianist Russ Freeman, bassists Bob Whitlock, Carson Smith,

Joe Mondragon Joe Mondragon (February 2, 1920 – July 1987) was an American jazz bassist. Early life Mondragon was born in Antonito, Colorado, and raised in the Española Valley region of New Mexico. Mondragon was of Apache and Hispanic origin. Career M ...

, and Jimmy Bond, and drummers Larry Bunker, Bob Neel, and Shelly Manne. Baker's quartet released popular albums between 1953 and 1956. Baker won reader's polls at '' Metronome'' and ''

DownBeat ' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Ch ...

'' magazines, beating trumpeters

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

and

Clifford Brown Clifford Benjamin Brown (October 30, 1930 – June 26, 1956) was an American jazz trumpeter and composer. He died at the age of 25 in a car accident, leaving behind four years' worth of recordings. His compositions "Sandu", "Joy Spring", an ...

. In 1954, readers named Baker the top jazz vocalist. In 1954, Pacific Jazz Records released ''

'', an album that increased his visibility and drew criticism. Nevertheless, Baker sang throughout the rest of his career. Hollywood studios saw an opportunity in Baker's chiseled features. He made his acting debut in the film '' Hell's Horizon'', released in the fall of 1955. He declined a studio contract, preferring life on the road as a musician. Over the next few years, Baker led his own combos, including a 1955 quintet with

Francy Boland François Boland (6 November 1929 – 12 August 2005) was a classically trained Belgian jazz composer and pianist. He first gained notice in 1949 and worked with Belgian jazz greats like Bobby Jaspar, and in 1955 he joined Chet Baker's quintet. ...

, where Baker combined playing trumpet and singing. In 1956, he completed an eight-month tour of Europe, where he recorded ''

Chet Baker in Europe ''Chet Baker in Europe'' (subtitled ''A Jazz Tour of the NATO Countries'') is an album by jazz trumpeter Chet Baker drawn from sessions recorded in Paris in 1955 for Barclay Records and released in the U.S. on the Pacific Jazz label. One consists l ...

.'' In late 1959, he returned to Europe, recording in Italy what became known as the Milano sessions, with arranger and conductor Ezio Leoni (Len Mercer) and his orchestra. Baker was arrested for drug possession and jailed in Lucca, forcing Leoni to communicate through the prison warden to coordinate arrangements with Baker as they prepared for recording. During most of the 1960s, Baker played flugelhorn, and recorded music that could be classified as

West Coast jazz West Coast jazz refers to styles of jazz that developed in Los Angeles and San Francisco during the 1950s. West Coast jazz is often seen as a subgenre of cool jazz, which consisted of a calmer style than bebop or hard bop. The music relied re ...

. He appeared in 1960 in the Italian film ''

Howlers in the Dock ''Howlers in the Dock'' ( it, Urlatori alla sbarra) is a 1960 Italian "musicarello" film directed (and co-written) by Lucio Fulci. It is also known as ''Howlers of the Dock'' in some reference books. The film was shown on Italian TV under a longe ...

.'' He also played himself in the 1963 British film '' Stolen Hours.''

Drug addiction and decline

Soon after signing on with Riverside Records, Baker was arrested twice; the first arrest involving a stay at a Lexington hospital, then imprisonment at

Riker's island Rikers Island is a island in the East River between Queens and the Bronx that contains New York City's main jail complex. Named after Abraham Rycken, who took possession of the island in 1664, the island was originally under in size, but has ...

for four months on drug charges. Baker said he began using

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and bro ...

in 1957. However, author Jeroen de Valk and pianist Russ Freeman said that Baker started heroin in the early 1950s. Freeman was Baker's musical director after Baker left the Mulligan quartet. Sometimes Baker pawned his instruments to buy drugs. During the 1960s, he was imprisoned in Lucca, Italy on importing narcotics and drug abuse spending more than a year in jail; he was later expelled from Germany and the UK on drug-related offences. He was deported to the U.S. from Germany for getting into trouble with the law a second time. He settled in

Milpitas Milpitas (Spanish for "little milpas") is a city in Santa Clara County, California, in Silicon Valley. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 80,273. The city's origins lie in Rancho Milpitas, granted to Californio ranchero José Mar� ...

, California, performing in San Francisco and San Jose between jail terms for prescription fraud. In 1966, Baker was beaten, probably while attempting to buy drugs, after performing at The Trident restaurant in Sausalito. In the film '' Let's Get Lost'', Baker said an acquaintance attempted to rob him, but backed off, only to return the next night with a group of men who chased him. He entered a car and was surrounded. Instead of rescuing him, the people inside the car pushed him back out onto the street, where the chase continued. He received cuts and several of his teeth were knocked out. This incident has been often misdated or otherwise exaggerated partly because of his own unreliable testimony on the matter. The breaking of his teeth did, however, ruin his embouchure, leaving him unable to play trumpet. He worked at a gas station until concluding that he had to find a way back to music, and after 3 years, retrained his embouchure.

Comeback

After developing a new embouchure resulting from dentures, Baker returned to the straight-ahead jazz that began his career. He moved to New York City and began performing and recording again, including with guitarist Jim Hall. Baker returned to Europe in the 1970s where his friend, Diane Vavra, whom he had an on-again, off-again relationship since 1970, accompanied him and remained with him during his last years of life. She went on to take care of his day-to-day needs, helping him with personal care as well as with his recording and performance work. Close to the end of Baker's life, he stayed and worked almost exclusively in Europe, only returning to the U.S. about once a year to attend some performances. In 1983, British singer Elvis Costello, a longtime fan of Baker, hired the trumpeter to play a solo on his song "

Shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to bef ...

" for the album '' Punch the Clock''. The song exposed Baker's music to a new audience. Later, Baker often featured Costello's song " Almost Blue" (inspired by Baker's version of Ray Henderson's “

The Thrill Is Gone "The Thrill Is Gone" is a slow minor-key blues song written by West Coast blues musician Roy Hawkins and Rick Darnell in 1951. Hawkins's recording of the song reached number six in the Billboard R&B chart in 1951. In 1970, "The Thrill Is Gone" ...

", not to be confused with the Roy Hawkins song of the same name, made famous by B.B. King) in his concert sets, and recorded the song for '' Let's Get Lost''. In 1986, ''Chet Baker: Live at Ronnie Scott's London'' presented Baker in an intimate stage performance filmed with Elvis Costello and Van Morrison as he performed a set of standards and classics, including " Just Friends", "My Ideal", and "Shifting Down". Augmenting the music, Baker spoke one-on-one with friend and colleague Costello about his childhood, career, and struggle with drugs. Baker recorded the live album ''Chet Baker in Tokyo'' with his quartet featuring pianist Harold Danko, bassist Hein Van de Geyn, and drummer

John Engels John Engels (January 19, 1931 South Bend, Indiana - June 13, 2007 Vermont) was an American poet. Life John Engels graduated from University of Notre Dame in 1952. After Navy service, Engels studied at the University College, Dublin, then gradua ...

less than a year before his death, and it was released posthumously. ''Silent Nights'', a recording of Christmas music, was recorded in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is bord ...

with saxophonist Christopher Mason, pianist Michael Pellera, bass player James Singleton, and drummer Johnny Vidacovich in 1986 and released in 1987. In 2006, ''Jazz Icons: Chet Baker: Live in '64 & '79'' was released, featuring two European concerts filmed 15 years apart. The 1964 performance took place in a Belgian TV studio, and the 1979 set was recorded in Norway. Other musicians featured are saxophonist

Jacques Pelzer Jacques Pelzer (24 June 1924 – 6 August 1994) was a Belgian musician. He played alto saxophone and flute. Notably, his performance with Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz ...

, French pianist René Urtreger, and vibraphonist

Wolfgang Lackerschmid Wolfgang Lackerschmid (born 19 September 1956 in Tegernsee) is a German jazz musician, bandleader and composer. His main instrument is the vibraphone, but he also plays many other percussion instruments. Lackerschmid grew up in Ehingen and now li ...

. Songs include the Miles Davis classic " So What", the jazz standard "Time After Time", " Blue Train", and many others.

Death

Early on May 13, 1988, Baker was found dead on the street below his room in Hotel Prins Hendrik,

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

, with serious wounds to his head, apparently having fallen from the second-story window.

Heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and bro ...

and

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Am ...

were found in his room and in his body. No evidence of a struggle was found, and the death was ruled an accident. According to another account, he inadvertently locked himself out of his room and fell while attempting to cross from the balcony of the vacant room adjacent to his own. A plaque was placed outside the hotel in his memory. Baker is buried at the

Inglewood Park Cemetery Inglewood Park Cemetery, 720 East Florence Avenue in Inglewood, California, was founded in 1905. A number of notable people, including entertainment and sports personalities, have been interred or entombed there. History The proposed es ...

in Inglewood, California, next to his father.

Personal life

Baker was married three times, to Charlaine Souder, Halema Alli, and Carol Jackson. He had four children: Chesney III with Halema; and Dean, Paul, and Melissa with Carol. Ruth Young was Baker's

common-law wife Common-law marriage, also known as non-ceremonial marriage, marriage, informal marriage, or marriage by habit and repute, is a legal framework where a couple may be considered married without having formally registered their relation as a civil ...

from 1973 to the time of his death in 1988. Baker was fluent in Italian.

Compositions

Some of Baker's notable compositions include "

Chetty's Lullaby "Chetty's Lullaby" is a 1962 jazz song composed by Chet Baker. The song was released as a single in 1962 in Italy. Background "Chetty's Lullaby" was released as a 45 single by RCA Records in June, 1962 as PM 45–3068 in mono backed with "So che ...

", "

Freeway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...

", "Early Morning Mood", "Two a Day", "''

So che ti perderò "So che ti perderò" or "I Know I Will Lose You" is a 1962 jazz song composed by Chet Baker. The song was released as a B side single in 1962 in Italy. Background "So che ti perderò" or "I Know I Will Lose You" was released as a 45 single in Ita ...

''" ("I Know I Will Lose You"), "''

Il mio domani "Il mio domani" or "My Tomorrow" is a 1962 jazz song composed by Chet Baker. The song was released as a B side single in 1962 in Italy. Development "il mio domani" or "My Tomorrow" was released in Italy as a vinyl 7" 45 picture sleeve single by ...

''" ("My Tomorrow"), "''

Motivo su raggio di luna "Motivo su raggio di luna" is a 1962 jazz song composed by Chet Baker. The song was released as a single in 1962 in Italy. Development "Motivo su raggio di luna" or "Contemplate on a moonbeam" was released in Italy as a vinyl 7" 45 picture slee ...

''" ("Contemplate on a Moonbeam"), "The Route", "Skidaddlin'", "New Morning Blues" (with Duke Jordan), "Blue Gilles", "Dessert", "Anticipated Blues", "Blues for a Reason", "We Know It's Love", and "Looking Good Tonight".

Legacy

Baker was photographed by William Claxton for 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), musical associates, and female friends, interspersed with footage from Baker's earlier life, and interviews with Baker in his last years. In ''Chet Baker, His Life and Music'', author Jeroen de Valk and others criticize the film for presenting Baker as a "washed-up" musician in his later years. The film was shot during the first half of 1987, prior to career highlights such as the Japanese concert, released on ''

Chet Baker in Tokyo ''Chet Baker in Tokyo'' is a live album by jazz trumpeter and singer Chet Baker, recorded at Showa Women's University's Hitomi Memorial Hall. Released only eleven months before his death, it has been hailed as, "A glorious moment in Chet Baker's ...

''. It premiered four months after Baker's death. ''Time after Time: The Chet Baker Project'', written by playwright James O'Reilly, toured Canada in 2001. Jeroen de Valk has written a biography of Baker; ''Chet Baker: His Life and Music'' is the English translation. Other biographies of him include James Gavin's ''Deep in a Dream—The Long Night of Chet Baker'', and Matthew Ruddick's ''Funny Valentine''. Baker's "lost memoirs" are available in the book ''As Though I Had Wings'', which includes an introduction by Carol Baker. Chet Baker is portrayed by Ethan Hawke in the 2015 film '' Born to Be Blue''. It is a reimagining of Baker's career in the late 1960s, when he is famous for both his music and his addiction, and he takes part in a movie about his life to boost his career.

Steve Wall Steve Wall is a musician, singer, songwriter and actor. He is a founder member of the multi-platinum selling Irish band The Stunning and also The Walls. As an actor Steve is known for roles in the western mini TV series The English (2022 ...

plays Baker in the 2018 film '' My Foolish Heart''. American singer/songwriter David Wilcox included the tender biographical portrait ''Chet Baker's Unsung Swan Song'' on his 1991 album ''Home Again''. Vocalist Luciana Souza recorded ''The Book of Chet'' in 2012 as a tribute. Brazilian jazz pianist Eliane Elias dedicated her 2013 album ''

I Thought About You "I Thought About You" is a 1939 popular song composed by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Background It was one of three collaborations Van Heusen and Mercer wrote for the Mercer-Morris publishing company started by Mercer and form ...

'' to Chet Baker. Australian musician Nick Murphy chose "Chet Faker" as his stage name as a tribute to Baker. Murphy said, "I listened to a lot of jazz and I was a big fan of ... the way he sang, when he moved into mainstream singing. He had this really fragile vocal style—this really, broken, close-up, and intimate style. The name is kind of just an ode to Chet Baker and the mood of music he used to play—something I would like to at least pay homage to in my own music."

Awards and honors

* Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame induction, 1987 * ''

'' magazine Jazz Hall of Fame, 1989 * Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, 1991 * Grammy Hall of Fame Award for ''

'' (1956), inducted 2001 * Chet Baker Day proclaimed by Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry and the Oklahoma House of Representatives, 2005 * Chet Baker Jazz Festival in his honor in Yale, Oklahoma, October 10, 2015 * Forlì Jazz Festival in honor of Chet Baker (30 years after his death), in

Forlì Forlì ( , ; rgn, Furlè ; la, Forum Livii) is a '' comune'' (municipality) and city in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy, and is the capital of the province of Forlì-Cesena. It is the central city of Romagna. The city is situated along the Vi ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, May 2–19, 2018

Discography

Filmography

* (1955) '' Hell's Horizon'', by Tom Gries: actor * (1959) '' Audace colpo dei soliti ignoti'', by

Nanni Loy Nanni Loy (born Giovanni Loi; 23 October 1925 – 21 August 1995) was an Italian film, theatre and TV director. Specifically, Nanni Loy was Sardinian, and one of several notable Sardinian film makers, including Franco Solinas. Biography Lo ...

: music * (1960) ''

'', by Lucio Fulci: actor * (1963) ''Ore rubate'' stolen hours" by

Daniel Petrie Daniel Mannix Petrie (November 26, 1920 – August 22, 2004) was a Canadian film, television, and stage director who worked in Canada, Hollywood, and the United Kingdom; known for directing grounded human dramas often dealing with taboo subject ...

: music * (1963) ''Tromba Fredda'', by Enzo Nasso: actor and music * (1963) ''Le concerto de la peur'', by José Bénazéraf: music * (1964) ''L'enfer dans la peau'', by José Bénazéraf: music * (1964) ''Nudi per vivere'', by Elio Petri,

Giuliano Montaldo Giuliano Montaldo (born 22 February 1930) is an Italian film director. Biography While he was still a young student, Montaldo was recruited by the director Carlo Lizzani for the role of leading actor in the film ''Achtung! Banditi!'' (1951). ...

and Giulio Questi: music * (1988) '' Let's Get Lost'', by Bruce Weber: music

References

External links

* * * *
"Baker, Chet"
'' Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''.
Chet Baker Materials from the papers of Diane Vavra, 1970-1989
at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...

* Chet Baker Live Recordings fro
Circle Records Germany
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Chet 1929 births 1988 deaths Jazz musicians from Oklahoma People from Milpitas, California People from Payne County, Oklahoma 20th-century American singers 20th-century trumpeters Accidental deaths from falls Accidental deaths in the Netherlands American jazz singers American jazz trumpeters American male trumpeters American people of Norwegian descent Burials at Inglewood Park Cemetery Columbia Records artists Cool jazz musicians Cool jazz singers Cool jazz trumpeters Drug-related deaths in the Netherlands EmArcy Records artists Enja Records artists Galaxy Records artists Hot Club Records artists Prestige Records artists Riverside Records artists SteepleChase Records artists Timeless Records artists Transatlantic Records artists Verve Records artists United States Army Band musicians American male jazz musicians CTI Records artists Sonet Records artists 20th-century American male singers Jazz musicians from California