Chet Baker - My Time with Chet (2018)

  • 08 Dec, 00:31
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Artist:
Title: My Time with Chet
Year Of Release: 2018
Label: Sleepy Night Records
Genre: Jazz
Quality: FLAC (tracks)
Total Time: 71:15 min
Total Size: 458 MB
WebSite:

Tracklist:

01. Mr B
02. There Will Be Another You
03. Dees Dilemma
04. She Was Too Good To Me
05. Love For Sale
06. Just Friends
07. But Not For Me
08. Almost Blue
09. Portrait Of Black and White

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 in junior high and later at Glendale 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. ~ William Ruhlmann



  • myto
  •  17:57
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Many thanks
  • Guest Ronnie
  •  06:37
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Thanks IsraCloud for the fine memoir of Maestro Chet. Enclosing my memory of first meeting Chet, which i posted as a comment on the youtube his collaboration with Duke Jordan "No Problem" among others.
Plus my correspondence with Artt Frank, Chet's drummer and loyal friend. Artt postponed our correspondence until he finishes Book Two of his "Chet Baker: The Missing Years"
The last time I spoke with Artt on the phone I sang the opening bars of a beautiful ballad by Brother Chet for which I wrote lyrics entitled "You Are My Rainbow" And now I can't remember the title of Chet's recording of that beautiful winsome but obscure ballad.
I thought for sure Artt would recognize and identify it but he couldn't.
So now I'm hoping we can connect by email or phone (541-613-8212) and hopefully you can help me identify and find this beautiful Chet ballad again, which I think I heard on the radio...i want to overdub my voice and try to sound like Chet, which comes naturally, because I totally identify with Chet's mellifluous singing Thanks again IsraCloud!

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The first time I met Chet Baker, he was playing at a little neighborhood club called Strykers on 86th & Columbus Avenue on Manhattan's Upper West Side. He was coming back after years of an extended period of absence, having diligently devoted himself to re-learning to play trumpet with dentures, which everybody told him could not be done. But he persevered and prevailed, and this was one of his first comeback gigs. Awesome! I never heard any trumpet sound like that! I don't think it could ever be captured on a recording: So intimate tender innovative & personal...sometimes just whispering & breathing infinite silence space&timelessness into his trumpet...He just loved music & making music so deeeeeeeeeply & innately: just making the purest finest most beautiful sounds and blissful ethereal effects. Chet Baker was truly a great Maestro of the highest degree, a natural-born precocious musical genius like Mozart!

During the break I came up to Chet to thank & enthusiastically congratulate him. In my over-enthusiasm I started telling Chet how much I also dug & admired & had been imitating his singing for years, and automatically went into my little imitation of him singing “I Wish I Knew” till I caught myself & felt embarrassed & silly & said,“Oh no! Here I am doing my Chet Baker imitation for Chet Baker!” He just smiled & said “You don't look old enough to remember that record.” (1955 LP called “Chet Baker Sings& Plays")

He looked gaunt & emaciated, almost like a derelict. But his voice and manner were rather pleasant polite mellow kind & refined, sensitive gentle very personable sweet good-natured & very likable, casual cultured & well-bred. I asked him if he would sing during his second-set after the break. He thanked me for asking but apologized & explained why he really couldn't because he was working with just a bassist & drummer & no piano...
He excused himself when his band-mates summoned him to prepare for their second set. There were just a few other people at that very small dimly-lit cellar club that night. My date was a nice girl who had the same last name as me though we were otherwise unrelated, I barely remember her, but we were both blown-away by Chet! 

When Chet came back from the break, he opened his set singing “Just Friends” Bless his heart! Still feels good that he honored my request & was singing just for me! His singing always kinda reminds me of Alfalfa from “Our Gang” 
  https://youtu.be/MJde86uISv0
He reminds me of Chet, because he sings all-out every moment! Every note and every word with all his heart and soul! And he always tends to be bravely out-singing and tenaciously overcoming all obstacles and adverse circumstances. And he tends to struggle to stay on key on the high notes: barely making it by sheer force of will! Bravo Alfalfa! Bravo Chet!

I still listen to Chet's music almost every day now, often listening to him continually all day long, and when I try listening to something else for a change, I find myself missing his familiar soothing sound which is so much an integral part of me, I find myself unable to listen to anything else & hafta sink right back into that sweet fine&mellow transcendent celestial atmosphere he creates so effortlessly & endlessly...   

PS: I had given Chet my business card that night, and to my surprise & amazement—first thing in the morning--he called me! But that's another story for another time now...

PLEASE FORWARD COMMENTS TO: [email protected]
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Artt Frank 1 year ago
I believe I met you that night also. I was Chet's drummer. As for his first comeback. That happened in Hollywood back in Feb. of 1969 at The Melody Room.- I was the one who bought him his flugelhorn, and watched him for many months re-learning how to play all over again, suffering from Trigeminal Nerve Damage to both sides of his cheeks and jawline. He went thru a lot of pain, but he never gave up. Then finally, after many months of re-learning, he was finally able to play a complete tune. Soon after this, I got him his first comeback gig at the Melody Room on the Sunset Strip, a few months later helped him to get a record contract at MGM/VERVE called, "BLOOD CHET & TEARS"- The rest you can read in my book of memoirs about Chet on (amazon.com) under the title, "Chet Baker: The Missing Years"- Artt Frank.


May 2, 2020
Thanks soooooo much Brother Artt for responding to my youtube comment on meeting Chet at Strykers Pub! Godblessyou for being such a devoted loyal friend to Maestro Chet--as great & fine as any musician who ever lived! And whose music will live on forever!
Please forgive my delay in responding, but I just discovered your reply a few minutes ago. I would love to stay in touch! And look forward to reading your book.
Please feel free to email me: [email protected]
Meanwhile checkout my current grant-worthy project: : PRAY AWAY THE VIRUS! https://youtu.be/neyWZ7M5er4

This piece is crying for a great drummer! We're applying for a grant for the WORLDWIDE CAMPAIGN TO PRAY AWAY THE VIRUS! And would be blessed & honored to include you as a recipient & creative participant in this urgent humanitarian venture!

[email protected]

Meanwhile I hope u can dig my collaboration with Chet's iconic collaborator {Gerry Mulligan}
https://youtu.be/d7AXart-2dU
“That's How Alone I Am”

Thanks again Godblessyou Maestro Artt & Lady Lisa!
Please stay strong healthy mellow & well, in-tune & in-touch & in-love With Peacelovejoynow4eveR!