Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American musician who played the trumpet and sang in jazz music. He helped create a new style of jazz called cool jazz, which earned him the nickname "Prince of Cool."

During the 1950s, Baker gained attention and praise for his recordings, including the albums Chet Baker Sings (1954) and It Could Happen to You (1958). A jazz historian named Dave Gelly once said Baker's early career combined the qualities of James Dean, Frank Sinatra, and Bix Beiderbecke. His struggles with drug use became widely known and contributed to his fame. Baker frequently went to jail during this time but had a comeback in the late 1970s and 1980s.

Biography

Chet Baker was born on December 23, 1929, in Yale, Oklahoma, and grew up in a home where music was important. His father, Chesney Baker Sr., was a professional Western swing guitarist, and his mother, Vera Moser, was a pianist who worked in a perfume factory. His maternal grandmother was Norwegian. Baker said that because of the Great Depression, his father, though talented, had to stop being a musician and take a regular job. In 1940, when Baker was 10 years old, his family moved to Glendale, California.

Baker began his musical career by singing in a church choir. His father, who admired Jack Teagarden, gave him a trombone, but Baker switched to the trumpet at age 13 because the trombone was too large for him. His mother said he had already started memorizing songs from the radio before receiving an instrument. After falling in love with the trumpet, he improved quickly, and his peers called him a natural musician who played with ease.

Baker received some music lessons at Glendale High School but left school at 16 in 1946 to join the United States Army. He was sent to Berlin, Germany, where he joined the 298th Army Band. While stationed there, he listened to V-Discs of Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Kenton, which introduced him to modern jazz. After leaving the Army in 1948, he studied music theory and harmony at El Camino College in Los Angeles. 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, performing at clubs like Bop City and the Black Hawk. He was discharged from the Army in 1951 and began pursuing a career in music.

Baker performed with Vido Musso and Stan Getz before being chosen by Charlie Parker for a series of West Coast performances.

In 1952, Baker joined the Gerry Mulligan Quartet and gained attention. Unlike Parker and Gillespie, who played the same melody lines together, Baker and Mulligan played different parts that complemented each other. "My Funny Valentine," featuring Baker's solo, became a hit and was linked to Baker for the rest of his career. With the quartet, Baker regularly performed at Los Angeles jazz clubs like The Haig and the Tiffany Club.

Baker formed a quartet that included pianist Russ Freeman, bassists Bob Whitlock, Carson Smith, Joe Mondragon, and Jimmy Bond, and drummers Larry Bunker, Bob Neel, and Shelly Manne.

Baker's quartet released popular albums between 1953 and 1956. He won reader's polls in Metronome and DownBeat magazines, beating trumpeters Miles Davis and Clifford Brown. In 1954, readers named Baker the top jazz vocalist. That same year, Pacific Jazz Records released Chet Baker Sings, an album that increased his visibility but also drew criticism. Baker continued to sing throughout his career.

Baker, known for his youthful appearance and calm, cool style that reminded people of a California playboy, became a teen idol in addition to being a respected jazz musician. Hollywood studios saw movie star potential in Baker, and he made his acting debut in the film Hell's Horizon in 1955. Baker declined a studio contract, preferring to travel and perform as a musician.

Over the next few years, he led his own musical groups, including a 1955 quintet with Francy Boland, where Baker combined trumpet playing and singing. In September 1955, he traveled to Europe for the first time, completing an eight-month tour and recording for the Barclay label in October. Some of these recordings were later released in the United States as Chet Baker in Europe. While in Europe, he also recorded a rare accompaniment for another vocalist: Caterina Valente, who played guitar and sang "I'll Remember April" and "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye."

One month into the tour, pianist Dick Twardzik died from a heroin overdose. Despite this, Baker continued the tour, using local pianists.

After returning to Los Angeles, Baker recorded for Pacific Jazz. His work included three collaborations with Art Pepper, including Playboys, and the soundtrack to The James Dean Story. Baker moved to New York City, where he worked with Gerry Mulligan again for the 1957 release Reunion with Chet Baker. In 1958, Baker reunited with Stan Getz for Stan Meets Chet. That same year, he released It Could Happen to You, which, like Chet Baker Sings, featured his scat singing skills instead of trumpet playing. His last major release before returning to Europe was Chet, produced by Riverside Records, which included musicians like pianist Bill Evans, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Philly Joe Jones, all associated with jazz trumpeter Miles Davis.

Soon after signing with Riverside Records, Baker was arrested twice: once for a stay at a hospital and once for four months in jail on drug charges. Baker said he began using heroin in 1957. However, author Jeroen de Valk and pianist Russ Freeman said Baker started using heroin in the early 1950s. Freeman was Baker's musical director after he left the Mulligan quartet. Sometimes, Baker sold his instruments to buy drugs.

In late 1959, Baker returned to Europe, recording in Italy for the Milano sessions with arranger Ezio Leoni (Len Mercer) and his orchestra. Baker appeared as himself in the film Howlers in the Dock. Tabloids criticized Baker for his drug use and personal behavior. In August 1960, he was imprisoned in Lucca for importing narcotics, forging prescriptions, and drug abuse. This forced Leoni to communicate with the prison warden to coordinate recording arrangements with Baker.

Baker spent about 15 months in jail and was later arrested in West Germany, then deported to Switzerland and France. He moved to England in August 1962 and appeared in the film Stolen Hours, released in 1963. He was deported from England to France in March 1963 because of a drug offense. He lived in Paris and performed in Paris and Spain for a year, but after being arrested again, he was deported to the United States from Germany. He settled in Milpitas, California, performing in San Francisco and San Jose between jail terms for prescription fraud.

Baker's first release in 1962, after his Italian prison sentence, was *Chet Is

Personal life

Chet Baker’s personal life was difficult, partly because of a long-term drug addiction that began in the 1950s and a lifestyle that involved frequent moving due to touring. In 1980, he described his life as "1/3 in a car, 1/3 sleeping, and 1/3 playing music."

His first marriage was to Charlaine Souder in 1950. In 1954, while still married to Charlaine, he publicly dated Lili Cukier, a French jazz fan, for two years. He introduced her to others as his wife. A photo of the couple, taken by William Claxton, appears on the cover of Chet Baker Sings and Plays.

Baker ended his relationship with Lili when he told her he had married Halema Alli. He married Halema, who was 20 years old and seven years younger than him, in May 1956, one month after meeting her. The couple posed for a photo by William Claxton, where Halema wore a white dress and rested her head on Baker’s knee. They had a son, Chesney Aftab Baker, to whom Baker dedicated his song "Chetty’s Lullaby." Baker was not a consistent or close father.

In a scandal covered by Italian newspapers, Halema was sent to prison for smuggling jetrium from Germany to Italy for her husband. She claimed she did not know she was breaking the law. At the time of the trial, Baker had already started dating Carol Jackson, a showgirl from Surrey. After six months in prison, Halema returned to Inglewood, and their marriage ended, though they remained legally married for years because it was hard to find Baker for a divorce.

In 1962, Carol Jackson gave birth to a son, Dean. In 1964, Baker returned to the United States, and Halema served him divorce papers. Baker married Carol Jackson in 1964, and they had two more children, Paul in 1965 and Melissa ("Missy") in 1966. Despite his absence from his family and his infidelity, Baker and Carol never divorced.

In 1970, Baker met Diane Vavra, a jazz drummer. They had an on-again, off-again relationship that lasted until his death. Starting in the 1980s, Diane cared for Baker during his European tours and helped with his career. The Library of Congress holds letters between Chet and Diane. Baker dedicated his 1985 album Diane to her, covering the song "Diane." At times, Diane sought help at a women’s shelter because of Baker’s behavior.

In 1973, Baker began dating Ruth Young, a jazz singer. She joined him on his 1975 European tour, and he lived with her in New York. They dated for about a decade, with breaks in between. Together, they recorded two songs, "Autumn Leaves" and "Whatever Possessed Me," for the 1977 album The Incredible Chet Baker Plays and Sings.

Because of his time in Italy, Baker could speak Italian fluently.

Baker enjoyed driving and sports cars. He was arrested for drunk driving in 1971, 1972, and 1975.

In the late 1960s and 1970s, Baker tried to write his memoirs. His wife, Carol, said he lost the draft while traveling. In 1997, Carol published the memoirs, which were recorded around 1978, under the title As Though I Had Wings. The writing is brief and focuses mainly on his time in the army and his drug use.

Compositions

Baker's well-known pieces include "Chetty's Lullaby," "Freeway," "Early Morning Mood," "Two a Day," "So che ti perderò" (which means "I Know I Will Lose You" in Italian), "Il mio domani" (which means "My Tomorrow" in Italian), "Motivo su raggio di luna" (which translates to "Contemplate on a Moonbeam" in Italian), "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

Chet Baker is a famous jazz musician known for his talent and personal struggles. By his mid-20s, he became well-known in the music world. In 1953, he gained fame as part of a popular group from the West Coast, playing alongside saxophonist Gerry Mulligan. He also won awards for his trumpet playing. Bebop pioneer Charlie Parker, a respected musician, once told his student Miles Davis that Baker was a young musician who would surpass him.

William Claxton photographed Baker for a book titled Young Chet: The Young Chet Baker. A 1988 documentary called Let's Get Lost, directed by photographer Bruce Weber, shows Baker’s life as a cultural icon in the 1950s and contrasts it with his later years, when he struggled with drug addiction. The film, shot in black-and-white, includes interviews with Baker’s family, friends, and colleagues, as well as footage from his early life and later years. The book Chet Baker, His Life and Music, written by Jeroen de Valk and others, criticizes the film for portraying Baker as a musician who had lost his earlier success. The documentary was filmed in 1987, the year before Baker’s death, and ended in Cannes, France, just before his final concert in Tokyo on June 14, 1987. The film premiered four months after his death.

A play titled Time after Time: The Chet Baker Project, written by James O'Reilly, toured Canada in 2001. Jeroen de Valk also wrote a biography of Baker, which was translated into English as Chet Baker: His Life and Music. Other books about Baker include Deep in a Dream—The Long Night of Chet Baker by James Gavin and Funny Valentine by Matthew Ruddick. Baker’s "lost memoirs" are included in the book As Though I Had Wings, which features an introduction by his third wife, Carol Baker.

The 1960 film All the Fine Young Cannibals, starring Robert Wagner as a jazz trumpeter named Chad Bixby, was loosely inspired by Baker. In the 1999 film The Talented Mr. Ripley, Matt Damon imitates Baker’s recording of “My Funny Valentine” from the album Chet Baker Sings. In the 2015 film Born to Be Blue, Ethan Hawke portrays Baker, showing his career in the late 1960s, when he was known for both his music and his addiction. Steve Wall plays Baker in the 2018 film My Foolish Heart.

American singer David Wilcox included a song titled 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 pianist Eliane Elias dedicated her 2013 album I Thought About You to Baker.

Australian musician Nick Murphy chose “Chet Faker” as his stage name to honor Baker. He said he admired Baker’s unique singing style, which was soft and intimate. In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Baker number 116 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.

Awards and honours

• Added to the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1987
• Honored in the DownBeat magazine Jazz Hall of Fame in 1989
• Included in the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame in 1991
• Received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award for his 1956 album Chet Baker Sings in 2001
• Chet Baker Day was declared by Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry and the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2005
• A Chet Baker Jazz Festival was held in Yale, Oklahoma, on October 10, 2015, in his honor
• A Forlì Jazz Festival was held in Forlì, Italy, from May 2 to 19, 2018, to celebrate Chet Baker’s life 30 years after his death

Filmography

• (1955) Hell's Horizon, by Tom Gries: actor
• (1959) Audace colpo dei soliti ignoti, by Nanni Loy: music
• (1960) Howlers in the Dock, by Lucio Fulci: actor
• (1963) Ore rubate ["stolen hours"], by Daniel Petrie: 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, and Giulio Questi: music
• (1988) Let's Get Lost, by Bruce Weber: music