Tribute to Chet Baker:
“The handsome boy with whom things went wrong”
One of the great “trumpet heroes” in jazz history. He played in various ensembles and with the greats of the world, including Charlie Parker. His composition ‘My Funny Valentine’ is one of the greatest jazz hits of all time and is still performed today by many jazz musicians as one of the principal standard works from the Real Book.
Lyrical, soft, melancholic melodies, played purely on the trumpet, which he could also sing in a sweet-voiced manner. His singing and trumpet playing were inseparably connected. He was an exponent of the West Coast Cool Jazz movement of the 1950s of the past century. His fondness for addictive substances, particularly heroin, ultimately became fatal for him. This love often brought him to Amsterdam, where he ultimately met his end.
A tribute in memory of Chet is self-evident considering what this genius contributed to the jazz community musically.