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Chet Baker



 
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so what
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PostPosted: Mon May 24, 2021 6:26 pm    Post subject: Chet Baker Reply with quote

I just realized that Chet Baker died when he was 10 years younger than I am now. His trumpet playing has inspired me almost as much as Lee Morgan's.
Chet sure did change the way he played over the years. I love that early stuff with Russ Freeman. I miss Chet and Lee. I have their sounds in my head though.

For what it is worth I found this web page that claims to clear up what happened when Chet died. It is probably right, but who knows. It does not matter now.

I'm glad we have the recordings of Chet and Lee.
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so what
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PostPosted: Mon May 24, 2021 6:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

oops,
link I mentioned is
https://www.kcrw.com/music/articles/how-chet-baker-really-died
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HERMOKIWI
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PostPosted: Mon May 24, 2021 7:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's an interesting article and the first time I've ever heard it. Most people think that Chet just fell out of a window but according to the article that wasn't the case. Thanks for posting it.

Chet didn't die particularly young compared to other great trumpeters who did (Lee Morgan, Fats Navarro, Clifford Brown, etc.).

To me the greatest tragedy in terms of a great jazz trumpeter dying young was Clifford Brown. A kind, gentle, clean living man with unbelievable skill and talent. I consider Clifford to be one of the all time 4 most influential jazz trumpeters (Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis are the other 3).
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so what
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PostPosted: Mon May 24, 2021 7:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That soft playing Chet did when he got older is something to behold.
I can get the great resonant sound playing loud. I need to work on getting it as soft as Chet played.
Gosh, he was only 58.
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HERMOKIWI
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PostPosted: Tue May 25, 2021 2:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

To me Chet had a very distinctive sound and timing that can be difficult to reproduce. Sort of like Patsy Cline in the vocal world in terms of the timing and textures. It's very difficult to accurately imitate Chet's timing and textures.
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jhatpro
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PostPosted: Tue May 25, 2021 2:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Chet's fall occurred at the Prinz Hendrik Hotel in Amsterdam. There's a placque on the front of the building which is not far from the main railroad station.

https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMHGNC_Chet_Baker__Amsterdam_Netherlands
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GeorgeB
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PostPosted: Tue May 25, 2021 4:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

so what wrote:
That soft playing Chet did when he got older is something to behold.


For sure. I do an hour's practice at 5 am every morning. I live in my own home but there is a house on each side of mine and I didn't want to annoy the neighbors so I learned to play softly during my comeback in 2016. It's fun to open up with the Brass and Reed band I play with, but I play ballads in the afternoon and I always like playing them softly.

As for Chet, well he left us far too soon.
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jhatpro
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PostPosted: Tue May 25, 2021 4:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Chet had great ears. A member of one of the Army bands he played with said “the first time through a tune he was the worst. The second, he was the best.”

Jack Sheldon said of Chet, “He always knew where he was in a tune. I’m never sure of where I am, even now.”
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so what
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PostPosted: Wed May 26, 2021 6:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

HERMOKIWI wrote:
To me Chet had a very distinctive sound and timing that can be difficult to reproduce. Sort of like Patsy Cline in the vocal world in terms of the timing and textures. It's very difficult to accurately imitate Chet's timing and textures.


That's for sure. Chet's textures are truly wonderful. No one plays now like Old Chet did (although I am out of the loop of what is happening now for the most part).

Tonight, I listened to The Last Great Concert and Chet.


It is catching that the Last Great Concert had a big band with a trumpet section. They played well, like a big band trumpet section. Chet sounded like he was playing a totally different instrument.


Anyway, I love the way Chet played on these discs. If I had to pick one word to describe his playing it is wistful. It sounds like he has played these songs 10,000 times and still loves them. It sounds like he remembers playing them with the high energy he did earlier, but now, a lot later, he has distilled the song and he is playing the essence of it. The meaningful part. It is wonderful to listen to. I need to work on playing like this.

Also, it is interesting that the flute is a good instrument for getting that wistful character.

By the way , he has remarkable intonation. (So, does Lee Morgan, another one of my favorites.)

If you drink wine, you'll want to drink your oldest wine when you are listening to Chet on these recordings. Gosh, and I'm older than he ever got to be. Although I don't look as old as he did.

I don't know how these sessions were miked, but it sounds like the mike was right in Chet's bell.
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king leopardi
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PostPosted: Wed May 26, 2021 6:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I found the complete Prestige recordings he did in 1965 at Half Price Books a couple of weeks ago and am still listening to them. I particularly like "Lament for the Living".

Dave Brewer
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so what
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PostPosted: Sun May 30, 2021 6:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've been listening to old Chet this week.
I never liked his singing much. But, now, I realized that his singing is the same way he play trumpet. No surprise, I guess. Anyway, I've now got a new appreciation for his singing and I appreciate a new nuance to his trumpet playing.

On the "Last Great Concert", it is amazing that All Blues seems like it was written for Chet. I love the way Miles played it, too. However, this is a song for Chet. It seems like it was written for Chet's mature wistful style.

The way Chet played seems to not be money making music. His younger days with Russ Freeman were better for that. Those are the songs that got me interested in Chet years ago. The older Chet is really growing on me. Beautiful stuff indeed.

Also, it is interesting to think about how Chet, as good and unique as he was, still had to hustle gigs anywhere he could just to make ends meet. Unless your are a pop tune winner, the music life is a tough one
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Robert P
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 19, 2021 6:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

In other recountings I've heard it was stated it wasn't known exactly what happened, that it was just assumed he was sitting in the window and passed out because he was high.

It seems odd that this story didn't come out at the time. You've supposedly got numerous people there and none of them spoke to the police or press?
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blbaumgarn
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 8:40 pm    Post subject: Chet Baker Reply with quote

To me, as one who always admired him, there is one thing for certain no matter how anyone feels about how he lived, how he died, and all the in between. If you listened to Chet play and if you never had the advantage of seeing him play or seeing videos of him playing, this man had a "deep-deep soul."
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GeorgeB
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 22, 2021 3:06 am    Post subject: Re: Chet Baker Reply with quote

blbaumgarn wrote:
To me, as one who always admired him, there is one thing for certain no matter how anyone feels about how he lived, how he died, and all the in between. If you listened to Chet play and if you never had the advantage of seeing him play or seeing videos of him playing, this man had a "deep-deep soul."


I couldn't agree more.
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irememberchet
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 22, 2021 5:08 am    Post subject: Chet Baker Reply with quote

As my screen name suggests, I have a deep respect for Chet Baker.

His lyrical style, his beautiful phrasing, and his musicality have deeply influenced my own style and playing.

I listen to his great music, his trumpet and his singing, and love his sense of style and respect for the music he played.

I will always remember Chet.
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Halflip
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 22, 2021 7:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I recall buying the album "Broken Wing" decades ago and listening to it for the first time in my car. I was particularly taken by Chet's rendition of "Oh You Crazy Moon". His scatting and trumpet playing were marvelously lyrical, and his choice of pivot notes as he navigated the changes was sublime.

I set the CD player on "repeat track" and just drove around for hours, basking in the sound.
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Brent
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 22, 2021 8:48 am    Post subject: CB Reply with quote

Most people seem to like Chet's playing in the 50's - 60's. I actually like his playing from the 70's-80's better. His CTI records were fantastic, and I also liked a lot of his trio recordings. His live Tokyo concert from '87 is masterful.
To me, his later playing seemed to have more focus and direction. Purely a subjective observation.

Regarding his lifestyle and such, I have minimal interest in that. It was what it was.

Brent S
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Bill Ortiz
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 22, 2021 10:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I agree Brent, his CTI stuff was great, although I love all his stuff. I was fortunate to have been able to see him live once in the early 80's. He was inspiring....
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so what
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 22, 2021 11:20 am    Post subject: Re: CB Reply with quote

Brent wrote:
.... His live Tokyo concert from '87 is masterful. .....


It really is. There is some really great trumpet playing on there.
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