The Hard Life...CHET BAKER Lived All That Drug Jazz

by Sara Björk cc

BARTLETT loves all types of music...and, JAZZ has always been, as Steve says.." Freeing and rewarding."

So, I [Jan] watch out for stories and cool things online 'bout Jazz for Steve. Today, I listened to CHET BAKER...a jazz trumpeter and vocalist from the '50's. That I've listened to before AND, have really enjoyed his 'smooth, quiet, comforting and soothing voice and style'..'.ahhh, it just let's me relax and unwind'...so, I started to research and investigate his life for a post....BOY! was I in for a surprise...his life was full of drugs, prison and violence...NOT anything like that 'soft comforting sound' that I heard on his videos.

I read that Baker had a "well-pupilicized drug habit"...he started using heroin in the 50's  and remained addicted to the drug the remainder of his life. He spent time in prison, was so violently beat up, his face smashed in, when trying to buy drugs in San Francisco after a gig, that he couldn't play his trumpet- and doctors thought he'd never play it again and he needed the money that he earned from his music to support this addiction, and, yes,.. when they found his body on May 13th, 1988 in Amsterdam on the ground below his second story Hotel room, heroin and cocaine were found in his body too....'BUT, but...wait.... listen to his soft and unique voice..so gentle and soft....so relaxing and soothing'. ...I had to pause and think...'why?   would anyone choose that?...drugs had made Baker's life very sad, lonely, scary and painful...and still this man gave us all so very much...what a giving man...thanks Chet. Jan

To read more, go HERE. HERE and HERE .

I found this video on YOUTUBE, called The Best of Chet Baker, [thanks Jazz n' Blues Experience]

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Below...more related video links....

2.] CHET BAKER-LIVE AT RONNIE SCOTT's 1986, from GilWamba...lots of info here, interviews

3.] IMAGINATION, from stone0902

4.] CHET BAKER ROME 1956, from OhNoxius

5.] MY FUNNY VALENTINE  1959., from gilbertocanova

.6.] CHET BAKER-EVERY TIME WE SAY GOOD BYE, from LORD SOBEK
7.] CHET BAKER INTERVIEW...NORWAY 1979, from ChetBakerFoundation
8.] A MESSAGE TO CHET BAKER FANS, from ChetBakerFoundation
9.] CHET BAKER FOUNDATION, from ChetBakerFoundation