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Chet Baker (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988)
Just so happened... yesterday the Sundance Channel aired the 1988 documentary, "Let's Get Lost": Bruce Weber film about the life and times of Chet Baker. Today is the twentieth anniversary of Chet Baker's death. No one knows if Mr. Baker accidently fell, jumped, or was thrown out of a hotel window to this death in Amsterdam in 1988 at the age of 58. Even so, over the years my impression of Mr. Baker as a singer and as trumpet player was one of ambivalence. I wasn't sure if Mr. Baker wasn't known more for the people he played with (Bird, Gerry Mulligan, & Dizzy Gillispie) his angler good looks, or his self-indulgence. I now realize( for me) all those things obscured a talent, Baker could've done much more if he'd been able to stay clean and sober. Mr. Baker was definitely a lyrical and melodic singer/trumpet player and at one point Mr. Weber asked about the comparison to Miles Davis and others. Baker said, 'those who couldn't tell the difference between he and Mr. Davis weren't listening with their ears and/or were lazy'.
I've been listening to Baker of late... he made some impressive albums thoughout his stormy career. "Lets Get Lost" can be seen on YouTube, 13 installments.
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Lets Get Lost is FANTASTIC!! I love this film and Chet is an amazing musician. Such a troubled soul, but he had a ton of talent. His music is beautiful. | |
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LoVE Him. The jazz James Dean! I see you're back, Ms Trina! "Lack of home training crosses all boundaries." | |
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A sad ending to a life that, at one point, held so much promise. | |
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Always loved Chet's sound!
... " I've got six things on my mind --you're no longer one of them." - Paddy McAloon, Prefab Sprout | |
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