Chet Baker at His Best

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Chesney Henry “Chet” Baker, Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and vocalist.

Baker earned much attention and critical praise through the 1950s, particularly for albums featuring his vocals (Chet Baker Sings, It Could Happen to You). Jazz historian David Gelly described the promise of Baker’s early career as “James Dean, Sinatra, and Bix, 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 ’80s.

At about 3:00 am on May 13, 1988, Baker was found dead on the Prins Hendrikkade, near the Zeedijk, the street below his second-story room (Room 210) of Hotel Prins Hendrik in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, with serious wounds to his head. Drugs were found in his hotel room, and an autopsy also found these drugs in his body. There was no evidence of a struggle, and the death was an accident. A plaque outside the hotel memorializes him and the room he was staying in is named “The Chet Baker Room”.

Baker is buried at the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.

I want to send out a special thank you to my new friend
Higor De Paula Costa
from São Paulo, Brazil
who shared this video with us.

Bruce was a member of the faculty at the University of Northern Iowa, School of Music in Cedar Falls from 1969 until his retirement in 1999. He has performed with many well-known entertainers such as Bob Hope, Jim Nabors, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Anita Bryant, Carman Cavalara, Victor Borgie, the Four Freshman, Blackstone the Magician, Bobby Vinton and John Davidson.

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2 thoughts on “Chet Baker at His Best”

  1. Higor de Paula Costa.

    Thank you for sharing another interesting matter, talking about Chet Baker.

    I am very grateful for the appreciation made my person, their stories are very interesting, and now more than ever, after that thanks, I want to see all the materials that you post.

    Hugs Higor of São Paulo, Brazil.

    Muito obrigado por compartilhar mais uma matéria interessante, falando sobre Chet Baker.

    Fico muito agradecido pelo agradecimento feito a minha pessoa, suas matérias são muito interessantes, e agora mais que nunca, depois desse agradecimento, quero ver todas as matérias que o senhor postar.

    Abraços Higor de São Paulo, Brasil.

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